


Voltron: A New Warrior

by jalpari



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Airbending & Airbenders, Aliens, Anger, Awkward Crush, Bending (Avatar), Between Rage and Serenity, Bonding, Break Up, Carnival, Crushes, Developing Friendships, Dimension Travel, Dreams, Dreams and Nightmares, Earth, Earthbending & Earthbenders, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Reunions, Female Friendship, Fire, Fire Magic, Fire Nation Royal Family, Fire Powers, Firebending & Firebenders, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Fun, Goodbyes, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Interplanetary Travel, Jealousy, Justice, Loss, Loss of Control, Loss of Parent(s), Love, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Mental Anguish, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Metalbending & Metalbenders, Mission Fic, Missions, Multiverse, Murder Mystery, Mystery, New Character - Freeform, New Planets, Original Character(s), Pain, Panic, Panic Attacks, Partner Betrayal, Partnership, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Quantum, Rage, Reunions, Romantic Friendship, Science Fiction, Secret Crush, Sleep Deprivation, Spirit Animals, Spirit World, Spiritbending & Spiritbenders (Avatar), Spirits, Spiritual, Suspense, Team Bonding, Team as Family, Terrorism, Terrorists, Time Travel, Trauma, Understanding, Unrequited Crush, Water, Water Spirit, Waterbending & Waterbenders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2019-12-07 19:28:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 49
Words: 83,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18239237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jalpari/pseuds/jalpari
Summary: One year after the war has ended, the paladins have taken on new roles to aid the universal peace efforts. However, Keith is faced with a new mission and he brings in his old friends to join him.The mission leads them on a wild goose chase for an elusive creature and seek answers for an inexplicable phenomenon.This is a Voltron x Avatar crossover.COMPLETE!





	1. A new mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blades of Marmora have expanded as a humanitarian relief organization. Keith receives intel on humans from Earth being held captive on another planet. Shiro and Pidge join him on the new mission to release and bring the prisoners back to their homes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic picks up from where the "Voltron: Legendary Defender" Netflix series ended. I won't be changing the canon and intend on retaining the original character arcs and history. As a quick review, here are the relevant details:
> 
> \- Hunk is now an intergalactic chef on a diplomatic mission
> 
> \- Shiro got married and left the battle behind, but most likely is still a space explorer
> 
> \- Pidge and the Holt family is leading the next generation of legendary defenders
> 
> \- Keith works with the Blade which is now a humanitarian relief organization
> 
> \- Krolia is the Galra representative in the galactic coalition
> 
> \- Lance continues to spread Allura's message and is living a simpler life with his huge family
> 
> \- Timeline: One year has passed since the end of season 8
> 
> \- Ages: Keith 25, Shiro, 32, Hunk 23, Pidge 21, Lance 23

* * *

"Are you sure of this?"

"Yes", Pakim replied.

Keith looked at the screen with a frown. Pakim was a young recruit but he had proven himself to be a quick learner, reliable and clever. Keith had recruited him himself along with a handful of others. He had made it his personal mission to ensure that the work of the Blades would persevere and reach new heights. It had been a satisfying year ever since the end of the war.

The Blade of Marmora had transformed into more than just a group of rebels fighting for justice. They were now contributing to the relief efforts across the galaxy and were also allies of the Voltron Coalition. It brought him great joy knowing that what they did, was making a difference. The war was over, but it would take much longer to bring back peace and balance after thousands of years of destruction and distrust.

Amidst all the peace efforts, it was easy to forget the real purpose of the coalition - being ready for any future wars. But now, on hearing the new intel that Pakim had brought to his attention, he was reminded of the dangers that still plagued the universe.

"Alright then", he sighed and nodded, "let's form a small team and look into this."

"Yes!" Pakim exclaimed but then regained his composure when Keith shot him a stern look. "I mean...it's an unfortunate incident but I will put together the best team for the job."

Keith rolled his eyes and walked past Pakim to the comm system.

"Before we look at any of the other blades, I am going to ask Shiro and Pidge to join us."

"You mean...you mean Dr. Katie?" Pakim gasped.

"Yes, Pakim", Keith groaned.

Sometimes he forgot the hero status his friends and he held for the younger recruits. And as smart and capable a Blade as Pakim was, he was still just a 20 year old who fangirled at the mere mention of Pidge, a now 21 year old hacker, engineer, undefeated champion of Killbot Phantasm 5, and overall genius.

"Very well, Sir", Pakim inhaled deeply and straightened his posture, attempting to hide his excitement.

Keith nodded and gestured for him to leave, "Bring me the files for suitable Blades for this mission. I want the team assembled by tomorrow."

* * *

"Shiro!" Keith rushed forward to embrace the smiling man standing in the control room.

"Keith! It's nice to see you", Shiro turned around and opened his arms wide to hug him.

Keith closed his eyes and let out a long exhale. For a moment, he felt like it was ten years back and he was just a teenager whose life was about to change forever. As they pulled back and Shiro patted his arm affectionately, Keith felt another arm touch his shoulder. It turned him around rather roughly and before he knew it, he was locked in a tight hug.

"Pidge?"

"That's Dr. Pidge now", a grinning Pidge pulled back and popped her collar.

Keith laughed and ruffled her hair much to her annoyance.

"Keith! Stop that", Pidge stepped back.

"Uhhh…", a voice trembled behind them.

Keith looked over Pidge's shoulder and saw Pakim, with a stack of folders in his hand, eyes wide open. He shook his head and looked at Pidge.

"Prepare yourself, _Dr. Pidge_ ", we've got a fanboy on board."

"Huh? What do you...", before she could finish her sentence, Pakim was standing in front of her, eyes still wide open, mouth half open.

"Dr. Katie…", Pakim began, but his voice trailed off as he saw Pidge smile and hesitantly offer him her hand.

Pakim stared at her hand and then at her face. He heard Keith grunt his name under his breath and caught the _get-it-together-man_ look he had on his face. Immediately, Pakim cleared his throat and shook her hand hastily only to drop all the folders to the ground.

"Oh...umm...sorry...I…", he mumbled.

Pidge bent down to help him gather the scattered documents. She shifted her glasses, uncomfortable under the dazed look Pakim still had on his face. As she stood up, Keith's firm voice addressed Pakim.

"Alright, Pakim. Get it together", he walked over and took the folders from their hands and sat by the desk.

"So...what do we have here", Pidge shook off her embarrassment and joined him.

Keith looked at her then Shiro.

"It seems we have a situation in Naxzela."

"The reclaimed planet?" Shiro joined them at the desk with a grave look on his face.

"Yep."

"But I thought it was still uninhabited", Pidge leaned in.

"That's what we thought too. But our intel suggests that a rebel group is using it as a hidden base."

"Galran rebels?"

"We're not sure yet", Keith frowned.

"And what are they doing there?" Shiro asked.

Keith paused and looked at Pakim.

"Pakim thinks there are prisoners being held there."

They turned to face Pakim, who walked to the screen behind the desk and swiped it till a map appeared. The map was dotted with a few markers. Pakim tapped on one and an image popped up. It was blurred but it seemed to be a satellite view of a building of some sort.

"This is the latest image one of our satellites took a few days back. That", he pointed to the building, "was not there last week."

"What is it?" Shiro crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"It seems to be a base for the rebel group we've been tracking. There has been a lot of activity in the last three days. Yesterday, I noticed a small group arrive."

He swiped on the image to another blurry image of a group of people surrounded by three more on all sides.

"My guess is these three people are herding the group into the building."

"Why do you think they are prisoners?" Shiro asked.

"Where are the controls to this database?" Pidge stood up and walked to the screen.

Pakim managed to point to a console near the desk. Pidge walked over and popped a chip in and began typing furiously. Soon, the screen was moving under her control. They watched as the images closed, a terminal opened, and a program ran. Pidge returned to the map and opened the marker once more. This time, the images were sharper.

"How did…", Pakim gasped. "Those images didn't have enough resolution to…"

"It's my own algorithm", Pidge stated simply.

She swiped to the next image and as she zoomed in, Keith stepped towards the screen and narrowed his eyes.

"They _are_ prisoners."

"Yep", Pidge agreed, "they seem to be tied up."

"So what's the plan?" Shiro opened the folders that lay on the desk. "Do we have a team?"

"Not yet. I want to assemble a small agile team and make our way there as soon as possible."

"And what about the current mission your ship is on?"

"My second in command will handle it. It's just a relief project in a new planet that's joining the coalition."

"Who do you have in mind?" Shiro flipped through more folders.

"Well, there's you, Pidge, me…"

"And me?" Pakim chimed in hastily.

"Yes", Keith groaned. "And you. As long as you keep it together and behave around Pidge."

Pakim winced and tugged at his collar in embarrassment.

"I...uh…", he glanced at an amused Pidge and then at Keith, "yes, Sir."

"Good", Keith walked to Shiro and picked up two folders. "I was thinking these two."

"Tara...", Shiro skimmed the document.

"She is a strong pilot, a Blade, and is good in tactical and evasive maneuvers. And this", he pointed to the second folder, "is Luten."

Shiro's ear perked up at the name.

"Is he from…"

"Yeah, he comes from a long line of military heroes. He will be very useful on the ground. He has been with us only for a few months but he ran many missions with the coalition."

"Alright", Shiro stood up, "let's discuss strategy."

"Pakim, get Tara and Luten here immediately."

Pakim nodded and rushed out of the control room.

"So", Shiro turned to Keith, "why is this mission important enough to call us here."

"I was wondering the same thing", Pidge added, "not that I mind it. It's good to be out of the base for a while", she cracked her knuckles in delight.

"Because", Keith tapped on another marker on the map, "if our intel is correct, they are doing much more than keeping prisoners."

Another image popped up, sharp thanks to Pidge's algorithm.

"We think there's some sort of factory here. And my guess is, they are manufacturing weapons there."

"What kind of weapons?" Pidge asked with a frown.

"Can't be sure. But they're big judging by the size of this building. Almost as big as the Zaiforge cannons."

Shiro and Pidge froze. For a while, no one spoke. Harsh memories flooded them. Memories of the Galran attack that had nearly destroyed their planet.

"So...you see…", Keith broke the silence, "I just wanted to be sure. If there's any imminent threat, we need to nip it in the bud."

"I agree", Shiro nodded.

"I'm in", Pidge smiled.

* * *

By the end of the day, the team had been debriefed and Keith led them to a spacecraft. It was small enough to be quick and agile. And big enough to provide enough defense capabilities. After everything was loaded, Keith turned to Pakim.

"You're the analyst", he poked him in the chest. "Make sure you have everything covered. I don't want to take any uncalculated risks. Understood?"

"Yes", Pakim nodded nervously.

"Go easy", Shiro chuckled and walked over. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled at him. "We're a team now, Pakim. As long as we work together, things will go as smoothly as is possible in such missions. Let's do our best. Alright?"

"Yes", Pakim smiled in relief.

"Good", Shiro patted his back and entered the craft, followed by the rest.

Once inside, everyone took their positions. Tara did all the checks and confirmed their status with the base.

"All systems go".

"Clear. You are ready to launch", the speaker droned.

Keith looked at a grinning Shiro and Pidge. They nodded at each other and Keith turned to Tara.

"Let's do this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who actually like my story line and stay with me through the chapters, I want to let you know that this work *squeals in excitement* is eventually going to be a Voltron x Avatar crossover!
> 
> NOTE - Based on comments, I wanted to clarify something. One, this story will have many chapters and will slowly build up to the point where it crosses over with Avatar. Two, this is not going to be a cross over of the characters from these two worlds, but a cross over between the two realms itself.
> 
> I don't want to give anything away so will just leave it at that and hope y'all stick around and enjoy the journey! Thanks for the comments, keep them coming!


	2. The sixth prisoner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith, Shiro and Pidge make their way to Naxzela, where prisoners are being held by a rebel group along with a weapon factory. When they reach the planet, however, everything is not as it seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic picks up from where the "Voltron: Legendary Defender" Netflix series ended. I won't be changing the canon and intend on retaining the original character arcs and history.

* * *

"We're approaching Naxzela, Sir", Tara announced.

Keith came by her side and observed the planet that lay before them. Naxzela was a planet formed by Altean terraforming technology. It had been reclaimed by the coalition and they had thwarted Haggar's plan to use it as a bomb. It was thought to be an uninhabited planet, until now.

"Do we have eyes on the structures?", Keith called out to Pakim and Pidge.

"Not yet", they yelled back.

"Take us around", Keith told Tara, "and maintain a safe distance."

"Our cloak is activated, Keith", Pidge reminded him.

"Yes, but we don't know what technology they possess. It's better to be careful", Keith turned to look at them and saw Shiro smiling at him. "What?"

"Nothing", Shiro shook his head, "You've become quite the leader."

"Yeah!" Pidge pouted, "Where's the angry run-into-battle-screaming Keith, we remember?!"

Keith rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the screen. They were scanning the planet as they flew over it.

"Sir", Tara called out, "I think I see something."

"Got it!" Pidge announced.

Shiro and Keith moved closer to the screen. Soon enough, they saw some activity.

"Those are the buildings our satellite captured", Pakim confirmed.

"Do you see anyone?" Shiro asked.

"There!" Keith jumped. "There are two guards outside the smaller building."

"That's strange", Luten joined them, "the bigger building is not guarded."

"Maybe they aren't using it?" Pidge offered.

"Or maybe...there is something more important in the smaller one", Keith gazed beyond the screen.

"What are our orders, Sir?" Luten turned to Keith.

"Ask him", Keith looked at Shiro.

"Me?" Shiro looked surprised.

"As long as you're here...you're always the leader, Shiro."

"Awww", Pidge came forward and pinched Keith's cheeks teasingly.

"Pidge!" Keith pushed her back, "Stop it!"

He heard Pakim and Luten clear their throats in an attempt to stifle their chuckles.

"Alright", Shiro grinned and stepped ahead, "let's suit up. We'll parachute down to that", he pointed at a hill structure behind the buildings, "location and make our way by foot to the base."

"I've taken the liberty to upgrade the software on the _propulsion-pack_ or as the oldie here calls it...parachute", she smirked at Shiro.

"What...when?" Pakim exclaimed.

"You can operate it by voice commands now", Pidge ignored the astonished remarks. " _Launch thrusters, power dials are 0 to 5, open navigation_ and these", she pointed two buttons, "are the booster and self destruct buttons."

Everyone gave her a look that was a combination of disbelief and fear.

"Yeah", she adjusted her glasses, "you probably don't want to mix those up."

"Why would you even have a self destruct mode, Pidge?!" Keith groaned.

"Because, Captain cranky pants...these are linked directly to the craft. If anyone gets a hand on these, they can track us or worse, hack us."

"Oh", Keith crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked away, "Fine."

* * *

"Alright, team", Shiro whispered, "is everyone clear on the plan?"

Keith, Luten, and Pidge nodded and readied their weapons. On Shiro's signal, Luten and Pidge headed down the slope towards the smaller building. Keith circled around to the right, and Shiro to the left. Once they were in their positions, Shiro whispered into the comm.

"Everyone check?"

"Yes", the responses came one after the other.

"Are there any more guards apart from the two in front?"

"No", Luten confirmed.

"Alright, let's stick to the plan then."

"Affirmative", Keith replied. "I'm going in."

With a swift movement, Keith turned the corner and walked towards the guards in front. Both were taken aback with the sudden intrusion and attacked him. Making use of the distraction, Shiro approached them from behind and while Keith took out one of them and injected a immobilizing serum in his neck, Shiro lunged at the other one and did the same.

"Alright, you two can proceed."

Luten and Pidge rounded the building and joined them. Keith stood by the door and nodded. With one kick, Shiro knocked the door down and Keith made his way in, Shiro and Luten followed close behind.

"Pidge, stay on high alert."

Pidge nodded as the rest of them disappeared down a dark corridor.

* * *

"Something doesn't feel right."

"I hear ya."

"Where is everyone?"

Just then, they heard a group approach from around the corner.

"You _had_ to ask", Keith smirked.

"Ready?" Shiro grinned back.

"Ready", Luten and Keith replied.

It was a group of five. From what Keith could see of them, not all of them were Galran. It was difficult to tell because they all wore black suits and half their face was covered by a mask.

As Shiro took on the two big ones, Keith knocked out the third with one swoop shot. Luten fought off the fourth and pushed him aside, making his way ahead. Keith injected the fourth and fifth quickly and followed behind.

"You guys go down the right, where these five showed up from", Shiro commanded, "I'll go down the left."

Luten and Keith made their way forward. This corridor was narrow and well lit and had two doors at the end before diverging into two again.

"This is gonna be like a maze, isn't it"? Luten sighed.

"Pidge", Keith spoke into the comm, "did you get everything?"

"Yep", her voice crackled in, "I have the map. It was difficult, they aren't using any modern tech. I had to lay out beacons all around the…"

"Pidge! Not now", Keith snapped.

"Yeah, right...keep going down your corridor. At the end, I can see a large heat signature on the left. It's a row of several rooms...likely where the prisoners are being held."

"Got it."

"And on the right, there is a large room and it has only two people."

"Shiro", Keith whispered, "anything on your end?"

"Negative, I'm coming to join you guys."

"Okay, Luten...make your way to the prisoners. I'll check the other room out", Keith muttered. "Shiro, join him as soon as you can."

"I'll be there in 5 ticks", Shiro announced.

Luten walked ahead cautiously. As he turned the corner, Keith turned right and followed the sound of metal and movement. Before long, he heard a muffled scream. As if someone was gagged and in pain.

"Shiro", Keith whispered impatiently, "did you get to Luten?"

"Yes, and Pidge was right. There are many cells here and about three guards."

"Alright, something is definitely happening in this room", Keith responded. "I'm going in."

"Good luck. We'll see you outside when this is done."

Keith took in a deep breath and pushed down the door and rushed inside, ready to take down the two people. To his surprise, there was only one...creature...and the other person was strapped to a large metallic contraption.

The creature was small and didn't look like a guard. He jumped back in fright and then pressed a button on his wrist. Keith knew more guards had been notified and would appear any minute.

He lunged at the creature and kicked him all the way back to the wall. He pushed him to the ground and pressed him down with his feet.

"Who are you people?" Keith demanded.

He remained silent. Keith bent down and pressed his gun to his neck.

"Tell me before I shoot you right here right now." Keith's voice reduced to a whisper.

"I won't."

"What are you doing here? Who are these prisoners?"

"You're too late."

Keith groaned and injected him and within seconds, he was unconscious. He turned his attention to the captive. It was bound to the contraption by several metallic straps and there were tubes inserted into its arms, neck and legs. As Keith stepped towards it, he heard footsteps approaching. Two guards entered the room and pointed their guns to him.

Before either he or they could fire a shot, the two guards froze and dropped to the ground. Luten and Shiro stood behind them and smiled at him. Their smile immediately turned to a frown on seeing the other prisoner.

"What the hell is going on here." Shiro muttered.

"We have immobilized all the guards and injected them with the serum. They won't remember us when they wake up. There were five prisoners who are waiting outside with Dr. Katie", Luten stepped inside.

"The guards were just mercenaries. I doubt they know anything of what this is all about", Shiro approached the prisoner.

"We need to take him", Keith tilted his head towards the creature on the ground, "with us. He definitely isn't a mercenary. He knows something, we just gotta goad it out of him."

Luten nodded and picked up the unconscious creature. As he headed out, Keith looked at Shiro.

"What do we do with this one?"

"The others seemed unharmed. Terrified and weak, but fine."

"This one clearly isn't."

Shiro held a small handle to the metal and a laser dagger lit up. He cut through the straps and gestured at Keith. Keith stepped forward and began pulling out the tubes. No blood came out much to his surprise. As Shiro cut through the last strap, the body lurched forward and Keith braced himself to catch it.

"Let's get out of here", Shiro called out as he ran out.

Keith threw the body over his shoulder and followed. Outside, Pidge and Luten were walking to the two pods approaching them. Within seconds, they had loaded all five prisoners on both pods. Pidge and Keith joined the first one along with the sixth prisoner and Luten and Shiro jumped into the second one.

"Are we sure there are no other guards or prisoners?" Keith asked Pidge.

"I don't see any in my scans."

"That doesn't make sense", Keith frowned. "What is in the other building?"

"All I see is large rooms with no heat signatures. Maybe it's a godown of some kind?"

"If there are no guards, we have to go back and inspect it."

Before Pidge could say anything, Keith was speaking into his comm.

"Shiro...come back. I want to check the other buildings. Pidge said there are no other guards. Pidge", he turned to her, "take them to the craft."

Pidge nodded as Keith leaped out of the pod and joined Shiro. They headed into the larger building and Pidge piloted the pod back up.

* * *

"They're coming back, open the hatch", Pidge called out to Tara.

In a few minutes, Shiro and Keith appeared into the control room.

"Where are they?" Shiro asked.

Pidge motioned for them to follow and led them to the common room. On entering the lounge, they saw five haggard and bruised people, all of different races.

"Where's the...other one?" Keith whispered scanning the room.

"She's in the infirmary", Pidge replied, "she's not in a good state."

"She?" Keith asked in a surprised tone.

"Yeah, she's human. Female."

"Oh", Keith started walking towards the infirmary but was stopped by Pidge.

"Luten's in there, dealing with her."

"Luten's a medic?"

"He knows enough to make sure she doesn't die."

"We need to return to the base immediately", Shiro stated. "We need to regroup, get them medical attention, and decide what to do with them."

"Did you guys find anything useful in the other building?"

Keith and Shiro looked at each other and then at the prisoners.

"Not here", they walked towards an adjoining room.

* * *

"Okay, now tell me", Pidge closed the door behind them.

"They're not making weapons", Keith leaned against a table.

"That's good news, right?"

"Not exactly", Shiro sat down on the bed. "It was some sort of lab."

"Like a science lab?"

Shiro nodded. "There was some equipment similar to the one she was strapped onto. There were unlabeled containers and boxes but they were empty."

"The rooms seemed to be quite large", Pidge frowned.

"The big rooms were empty. They looked like a training ground. There were obstacles and targets and a LOT of water cylinders."

"That makes no sense", Pidge muttered and shook her head.

"And there was blood", Keith finally spoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fingers crossed you guys are as excited by this idea as I am. SERIOUSLY, I LOSE MY SHIT EVERY TIME I WORK ON A CHAPTER!


	3. Olkarion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team decide to take the rescued prisoners to the Coalition headquarters in Olkarion. As they approach the Olkari, a new insight adds to their worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic picks up from where the "Voltron: Legendary Defender" Netflix series ended.
> 
> I have taken the liberty of bringing back Olkarion, the Olkari, and Ryner (since the show left a lot of it to conjecture).

* * *

"Olkarion?" Pakim stared at Shiro in disbelief.

"It is the base of the coalition", Keith answered offhandedly.

"No...uhh...I mean…", Pakim fumbled for words. "I thought...Olkarion and the Olkari were...annihilated."

"What?!" Pidge exclaimed from her seat. "Why would you think that?"

"Umm...because it was eaten up by a...what's it called...weeble?" Pakim muttered.

"Weblum", Keith corrected even more casually.

"Yes, that", Pakim raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"For your information", Pidge adjusted her glasses and stared at him.

"Here we go…", Shiro smirked.

"The Olkari are…"

"They were Magicians", Pakim interrupted her.

"NO!" Pidge jumped off her seat and stood before him, hands on her hips.

"Now she's mad...", Keith curled his lips inwards and swiveled his chair to get a better look at the scene about to unfold.

"The Olkari are the most beautiful advanced brilliant race with extraordinary _engineering_ skills. To lower life forms", she eyed Pakim from top to bottom, "their abilities may appear to be magic."

He squirmed under her death stare.

"They can manipulate any material imaginable...create anything...with just their minds...combined with their intelligence, they are capable of things we can't even begin to conceive", she continued, "and it was their genius that helped them escape Olkarion and survive."

"Ohh…"

"Yes...OHH…", Pidge sneered.

"Easy now, Pidge. Cut him some slack", Shiro chuckled.

"Down girl!" Keith snickered.

"And now they have created another marvelous civilization on another reclaimed planet. The new Olkarion", Pidge boasted as if she herself had constructed the planet.

Pakim gulped and shuffled nervously as Pidge straightened herself, adjusted her glasses, and walked back to her seat. After a few seconds of silence, Pakim spoke again.

"But...but I thought we were going to return these prisoners to their home?" he whispered cautiously, throwing a side glance at Pidge who was now engrossed in something on her console.

"Yes, but", Keith sounded almost irritated, "in case you hadn't noticed, each prisoner is from a different planet. The next best thing is to hand them over to the coalition. They can contact each of their planets and find a way to get them home."

"And we need to discuss our next steps", Shiro added.

"Sir", Luten entered the control room, "the sixth prisoner needs immediate medical attention. I have done everything I could but I cannot stabilize her condition."

"Tara, how much more time to get to Olkarion?"

"Another hour, Sir."

"I'm not sure she'll last that long, Sir."

* * *

Shiro entered the infirmary and walked up to the bed. She was fast asleep but her breathing oscillated between shallow inhales and exhales and bumpy hiccups. He could see the cuts through which the tubes had been inserted into her neck. He reached out and touched her forehead with the back of his hand. She was burning up. He moved his fingers to her neck. Her pulse was racing. It felt like, any moment, her body would convulse and explode.

"Is she as bad as he said?" Keith stood in the doorway.

"Looks like it", Shiro turned to face him. "Her graph is all over the place and her vitals could drop at any moment. She could crash in the blink of an eye."

"What are our options?" Keith remained at the door.

Shiro thought for several seconds, his mind scanning through all his previous experiences. Suddenly, his face perked up.

"I think, there is one more thing we can try."

"What?"

""Luten tried all the modern marvels of medicine and tech. But not the old fashioned way."

"And what is that?"

"First thing, we need to control her fever. Prepare a lukewarm bath and get me a pair of pyjamas and shirt. And get Pidge."

"Shiro, what…", Keith gave him a bewildered look.

"Just do it, Keith."

A few seconds later, Pidge strolled in.

"You wanted to see me?"

"I need you to change her clothes, Pidge."

"Me? Why?"

"Umm...you're the only girl here who isn't piloting the craft…"

"Oh...yeah…"

"Here are the clothes", Keith entered the room and handed them to Pidge. "I'll go get started on the...bath."

"Bath?" Pidge raised an eyebrow at Shiro.

"Call me when you're done changing her", Shiro closed the door behind him as he exited the infirmary.

Shiro leaned against the wall and tapped his feet anxiously.

_This is a stupid idea. If the medicines and fluids didn't work, why would this!?_

"All done", Pidge opened the door.

Shiro walked in and lifted the girl in his arms. They walked towards Keith's room and Pidge opened the door to let Shiro in.

"Keith? How's that bath coming along?"

"Almost ready", Keith's voice echoed in the bathroom.

Shiro walked to the tub and began lowering her in it.

"What are you doing, Shiro?!" Keith exclaimed.

"Ah!" Pidge jumped. "You're trying the good old home remedy! Keeping her in a lukewarm bath to cool her body down."

"Yep", Shiro pulled back after placing her carefully in the tub.

"Shiro! She can't support herself. She'll drown if you leave her in there alone", Pidge shrieked.

He reached out again just in time and they all gasped. Keith and Shiro looked at each other and then at Pidge.

"What…", Pidge noticed them staring at her expectantly. "Uhh...guys...what.."

They tilted their head towards the tub.

"No…", Pidge stepped back.

"Pidge", Shiro reached one arm out and grabbed her hand, "need I remind you again that you're the only girl…"

"C'mon we're all adults here...there's nothing inappropriate in either of you doing it…", Pidge grumbled.

"...and you're the smallest of us", Shiro finished his sentence.

"That's true", Keith hid his smirk.

Pidge glared at him and grunted. She took a deep breath and began climbing in with Shiro's support.

"You guys owe me BIG time", Pidge mumbled as she sat beside the girl and propped her up.

"Technically", Shiro grinned, " _she_ would owe you big time."

With that Shiro and Keith walked out.

"Are you seriously going to leave me in here...alone!?"

"Yep", Keith peeked in smiling.

"Keith will come and check in on you every ten minutes", Shiro peeked in behind Keith.

"Wha…", Keith groaned as Shiro pulled him back out by the collar.

"I LOATHE YOU TWO", Pidge screamed as they left the room.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Keith trudged back in.

"Is it helpin...Pidge are you playing a video game...how did you even..."

"Keith! You made me miss a shot!" Pidge grunted. "And yes, I think so."

Keith sat by the tub.

"I need to heat the water again...before she starts shivering."

"You do realize there's a button", Keith leaned over her to the wall behind them, "right here for just that purpose?"

"Oh", Pidge grinned, "is that new?"

"Yeah...thanks to Coran."

"Can you check her fever, Keith?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Uhh...yes, I am in the water with her. I wouldn't be able to tell…"

"Fine", Keith sighed and reached out.

He hesitated for a second and placed his hand on her forehead. After a few seconds, his lips parted into a small smile of relief.

"I think...I think her fever has gone down just a little."

"That's not likely, she needs more time in the water given how bad she was burning up."

"Then why did you ask me to check!?"

"To annoy you."

"Pidge!"

"There's more to come, Galran. I _will_ get back to you for this."

"Ughh", Keith groaned and walked to the door. "Keep the water warm. _Shiro_ will come and check on you after some time."

"Aww..are you upset little Galran?"

"Say more things like that and I'll send Pakim in."

Pidge shut up and pursed her lips. She huffed and resumed her video game.

* * *

"Keith? Shiro? Can anybody hear me?" Pidge's voice boomed from the comm system.

"Pidge? Where are...how are…"

"You need to get here...NOW."

"How are you even…"

"My console is connected to everything in here, guys. I'm offended you're still surprised at the power I have over everything tech. Now...get your butts here."

"Tara...how much further?" Keith asked.

"15 more minutes, Sir. At the most."

Shiro and Keith rushed to his room and pushed the bathroom door wide open. Pidge looked alarmed as she held the body as if it were a fragile item.

"Uhh...I think...", Pidge paused before choosing her next words, "I think she moved."

"Moved?"

"Like...she's not entirely unconscious any more."

Shiro knelt by the tub and touched her forehead.

"She's not as hot as before. And her pulse has slowed down a bit...maybe it's the human contact."

"Pidge is human?" Keith smirked and received a glowering expression from Pidge.

"Let's get her dry and back in the infirmary. We need to change her again."

"But we used the only pair Tara had", Keith shrugged.

"Then get one of yours", Shiro gave him an annoyed look.

He rushed out with the girl and Pidge followed giving a smug look to Keith. Keith returned to the infirmary with a pair of his pyjamas and a shirt.

"I'll change her. Shiro wants you in the control room" Pidge grabbed the clothes and closed the door.

* * *

As Keith entered the control room, he saw Shiro and Luten standing at the desk, pouring over something. As he neared them, he saw it was a smaller hand held screen.

"What's going on?"

"We're about to land in Olkarion", Tara announced.

"Look at this", Shiro beckoned Keith over. "We informed the Olkari of our arrival and we gave them all the information we have so far."

"And?"

"It seems something similar happened at another location", Luten explained.

"More prisoners?"

"Yes", Luten continued. "A patrol ship came across them. Unlike ours, there seem to be more prisoners there."

"Did they get them out?"

"No", Shiro sighed, "for now the Coalition are keeping them under observation."

"Why?!"

"They said they want to gather more information before...recovering the prisoners."

"There may be no prisoners _to_ recover later", Keith groaned.

"I know, but let's sit down and lay everything we know out on the table when we meet them. Then, we can come up with a better plan of action."

Keith nodded and browsed the details on the screen. One bit caught his eye.

"This says there are six groups from six planets there."

Shiro leaned over and looked at where Keith was pointed. "Yes, that's based on their satellite images and drone footage."

"We found six prisoners from six planets, Shiro." Keith looked at Shiro, brows furrowed in deep thought.

"See if both sets of prisoners are from the same planets. And how is the interrogation going?" Shiro turned to Luten and Pakim.

"Not too good, their memory is very fuzzy", Luten picked up the tablet, "and yes...it seems like they are the same planets."

"The only one we haven't questioned is the sixth prisoner", Pakim added.

"We'll have to wait to speak with her", Shiro exhaled. "After she gets the necessary medical attention."

"Look!" Pidge exclaimed startling everyone. "Olkarion!"

She leaned against the glass and sighed with joy as they approached the planet.

"It's even better than the old one", her voice lowered. "They didn't just survive...they are thriving." There was hint of pride in her voice.

"Luten, Pakim, Pidge", Shiro began, "ready the others for our arrival. Keith bring the girl. I'll escort our prisoner."

As they disembarked from the craft, they were greeted by a small group, led by a graceful woman.

"Ryner!" Pidge rushed ahead and embraced the leader of the Olkari.

"I'm so glad to see you, Pidge", Ryner smiled and leaned into the hug.

"Paladins", Ryner walked to Shiro and Keith.

"We are no longer Paladins, my Queen", Shiro smiled and bowed.

"You will always be Paladins in my eyes", Ryner patted his arm.

Her gaze moved to Keith and the body he held in his arms.

"Oh, dear we need to get her to the doctor immediately."

"Yes, and we need to get the rest to the infirmary as well", Pidge added.

"And…", Shiro exhaled, "we need to hold an urgent meeting with the council.


	4. Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the team try to convince the Coalition to launch a rescue mission to the second rebel base, the sixth prisoner regains consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic picks up from where the "Voltron: Legendary Defender" Netflix series ended.
> 
> I have taken the liberty of bringing back Olkarion, the Olkari, and Ryner (since the show left a lot of it to conjecture).

* * *

"By then, it might be too late for those prisoners!" Keith gritted his teeth and nearly growled at the leaders of the Coalition who were against the rescue mission.

"Yes, but we don't know enough about the rebels to attack! What if the mission fails? Then...they will know we've been tracking them! And who knows where they'll disappear to next."

"Right now", another leader joined in, "it's in everyone's best interest to keep gathering more information so we can take them down properly...later...once and for all!"

"At the risk of more lives?!" Keith snapped. "And you have gathered as much information as you possibly could remotely."

"Keith, calm down", Shiro placed his hand on Keith's arm.

"No!" Keith jumped up and nearly yelled, "The only way to learn more is by _actually sending a team to the ground_."

They were interrupted by a hasty knock on the door and a nurse peeked in hesitantly.

"Queen Ryner, the girl is awake."

"Alright", Ryner turned to the group once more, "Shiro, do you want to go check on her?"

"I think Keith should."

Before Keith could protest, Shiro lowered his voice and addressed him, "You need to calm down. Take a break and go see if she is in any condition to be interrogated."

As Keith stomped out the room, Shiro sighed and faced Ryner and the rest of the representatives.

"I apologize for his outburst", Shiro began, "but I agree with Keith."

"Me too", Pidge added. "From what we saw at Naxzela, these people don't use a lot of advance tech. We need to be down there and find out whatever we can to piece together their plans."

"We can come up with a way to infiltrate this base and rescue the prisoners without wasting more time and risking more lives", Shiro concluded.

"I agree", Krolia finally spoke.

Everyone turned their attention to the Galran representative who had been silently listening to both sides of the discussions. Many of the representatives were hesitant to launch a hostile mission. It was understandable given that everyone was still recovering from the last stand against the Galran enemies. Peace efforts were still ongoing and no one wanted to start another fight.

But lately, concerns about a new rebel group were growing. And there was little to go on. It started when the Olkari picked up a primitive distress signal. They were able to track it to a nearby galaxy, on a planet which they had thought until then to be uninhabited. To their surprise, there was a small construction on it. Over the next few days, two more buildings had been constructed and multiple groups of people had been brought there.

And one day, some equipment and people were loaded onto a departing craft, and the distress signal stopped. Two days later, Shiro's message had startled them. Pakim had detected a similar primitive distress signal. Another base had been discovered. The new information confirmed their suspicions. There was something bigger going on. But there was no way to tell what it was.

So far, the only known member of the group which they held captive was the creature Keith had found in Naxzela. And he wasn't cooperating. The prisoners hadn't been of much use either. They only remembered a masked group kidnapping them from their planets and taking them to a prison that held at least 20 other prisoners. They didn't know why they were separated from the rest and taken to Naxzela shortly thereafter.

"If we wait any longer, it might be too late to prevent something worse from happening. But", she held a hand up to silence the protests that were about to begin, "we should wait for the human female to wake up and see if she can give us more answers."

"Hmmm", Ryner pondered. "That makes sense. She is the last source we have as of now."

"Then it is agreed?" Shiro asked expectantly. "After we question her, we can launch a stealth attack."

"I think that's best", Krolia stood up and looked at Ryner.

Ryner nodded and looked around the table. Slowly, each representative nodded and sighed.

"Thank you, I will make sure…"

"Uh...Captain Shiro…", a sudden voice boomed.

Everyone startled and turned to see a panicked face.

"I think...you need to come...the human...she's attacking Keith!"

* * *

Keith stood by the girl, observing her stats. Her heart was not racing anymore and her breathing seemed normal. Her black hair was strewn about her pillow haphazardly, framing her face. Her skin was the color of caramel but dry and almost translucent. Her lips were blue, as if she was freezing. Every now and then, she moaned and shook her head as if she was having a bad dream. Her eyebrows furrowed and her entire face winced.

He cautiously placed a hand on her forehead to check her fever. As soon as his hand touched her skin, her eyes opened wide and she let out a shriek, taking in a long gasping inhale as if she was coming up for air. Keith startled and took a step back. Before he could say anything, he saw dark brown eyes lock onto his and he saw a storm of fear, anger, and panic raging in them.

"Hey...it's alright…", Keith put his hand up and spoke as softly as he could, "you're…"

Much to his shock, the girl reached for the table by the bed, grabbed a pair of scissors and sat up shakily, pointing it at his face.

"Get away...don't come any closer", she barked, "...I won't hesitate to use this."

"Hey!" Keith exclaimed, now alarmed. "No...I'm not…"

"I said STAY BACK", she began standing up but groaned in pain and looked at the tube going into her wrist in confusion.

"You need to lie down...you're not fine…"

"I don't have to...I'm fi…", she yanked the needle out and placed both her feet on the ground.

Keith could see her head spinning as she clutched the side of the bed with one hand, the other hand still pointing the scissor at him. She shook her head to clear the fog in it and glared at Keith again.

"Who are you?" she grunted in pain.

"I'm here to help…", Keith began approaching her with both hands up in surrender, "I'm not going to hurt…"

In the flash of an eye, the girl growled and lunged at him, stabbing him in the arm with the scissor.

"I said...get away from me", she pushed back a stunned Keith, "...I don't believe you. You're just another one of them...sticking more needles into my body!"

Keith looked at the gash on his arm in frustration. Before he could turn his attention back to her, she came running at him with another groan and stabbed his other arm.

"Nurse!" Keith yelled towards the door, "Get Shiro here!"

It took every fiber in his being to control himself and not overpower the girl with aggression. He evaded her and tried to reason with her.

"I'm not one of them...trust me…", he backed up closer to the door.

"I DON'T trust you…"

"You're hurt...you need…"

"YOU HURT ME!"

As she took an angry step towards him, the door behind Keith flung open and Shiro and Pidge ran in, coming to an abrupt halt at the sight before them. The girl froze as well. She was panting and looked weary, yet fearsome.

"Keith!" Shiro looked at his arms, "you're...injured."

"Wow", Pidge adjusted her glasses and raised her eyebrows. "She got you real good."

"I could've gotten her if I _wanted_ to", Keith spat out.

"Shut up, you two", Shiro whispered and stepped in front of them with his hands up.

"My name is Shiro...please put that scissor down."

"Why should I?"

"We're not going to hurt you. We...saved you and the other five from the prison."

Shiro was encouraged when the girl's eyes softened in confusion and her shoulders dropped ever so slightly.

"They're here...the other prisoners. This is a hospital. You…", he took a step closer when she didn't flinch, "...were badly injured when we found you."

Her eyes darted from Shiro to Keith to Pidge. They could see her assessing the situation. Her eyes turned from anger to despair. She looked at the scissor in her hand.

"Fine", she lowered it a little, "but I'll only talk to you", she glanced at Shiro. "Everyone else has to leave."

* * *

"How're your arms?" Shiro walked out of the girl's room to where Keith and Pidge were sitting.

"It's fine", Keith grumbled.

"It's bad…", Pidge smirked.

"Well at least we know she's doing better", Shiro grinned.

Keith scowled and sat up straight.

"So...what did she say? Anything useful?"

"Maybe…", Shiro mulled it over for a few seconds and then continued, "...she remembers being captured along with five other humans and being taken to the same prison the others described."

"What were the rebels up to? Did she see any of them?"

"From what she told me, I think she only saw the mercenaries. But...she said that every time they took a prisoner out of their cell, they returned with cuts in their bodies, similar to hers, and were always unconscious. When it was her turn, they tied her down and…"

"And...did some kind of tests on her?" Pidge gasped.

"Yes", Shiro nodded sadly, "for some reason she didn't pass out like the others. And then a few days later, she was blindfolded and taken away. When the blindfold was removed she was in a new prison with the five prisoners we found, in Naxzela. Her last memory before seeing Keith today, was being strapped to something big and cold and feeling multiple tubes being injected in her."

"That's…", Pidge winced, "terrible."

"That's probably why she attacked you", Shiro turned to Keith, "she thought she was still there...and you were the…"

"That's it", Keith made up his mind and stood up, "We need to make a move on the second base before more people get hurt."

"Alright", Shiro nodded, "let's go to the council."

"Uh...I'm going to stay here…", Pidge glanced at the room, "in case…"

"That's fine, Pidge."

Pidge watched them leave for the council and walked to the room. She stood outside and hesitated.

"Hey...uh...it's me...Pidge...it's just me...can I...can I come in? I can bring you some food...or water..."

Silence.

"I…", her mind raced, wondering what she could say to possibly convince the girl to let her in, "...I held you in a bathtub when we were trying to bring your fever down!" Pidge blurted and immediately cursed to herself.

_Yeah, Pidge...that won't freak her out at all! Good going._

After several seconds had passed, Pidge heard footsteps and the door cracked open. The girl peered out and looked Pidge up and down. Pidge grinned nervously and waved a hand at her.

"Hi, there", she managed an awkward smile, "I...are you...do you want some water or food?"

The girl opened the door a little wider and shook her head.

"Uhh...okay...can I…", Pidge noticed the girl was still clutching the scissor. She gulped and went on, "...come in?"

The girl opened the door to let Pidge in and closed it behind them.

* * *

"That's all she said!?" A council member exclaimed.

"It's _enough_ ", Keith maintained an even but stern tone. "We know the rebels are doing some kind of tests...maybe even dangerous experiments...and that there are innocent lives in danger."

"We need to make our move", Shiro urged the council.

"Yes", Ryner announced and motioned to Krolia, "...take charge and have the team ready in a few hours. It may be best to surprise them at night."

After an hour of pouring over every detail, intel, and evidence they had, Krolia leaned back and glanced at everyone around the table.

"So we agree then?"

"Yes", Shiro stood up and walked to the projection behind them. "Tara will pilot us to this drop point. From here you and Keith will make your move and Luten and me will approach from here."

"What about me?" Pidge stood in the doorway crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You will stay in the control room with Pakim and guide us. And keep the people here posted as well. We will have a back up team waiting here on Olkarion."

"How's the girl?" Krolia inquired.

"Noor…", Pidge smiled, "...her name is Noor."

"Oh", Ryner looked at her with interest, "and she is a human female?"

"Yes, she is a _'human female'_ ", Pidge chuckled in amusement.

"I would like to see her", Ryner stood up and walked towards Pidge.

"Uh...really? I'm not sure if that's a good idea. She's still scared and doesn't trust anyone...just look at what she did to Keith."

Keith scowled but before he could defend himself, Ryner replied.

"She clearly trusts _you_ enough to tell you her name. I am confident she will speak with me if I am accompanied by you. Now, come along", Ryner began leaving the room, leading Pidge with her.


	5. The light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge has an interesting conversation when the The Olkari Queen visits the rescued girl. The team is ready to attack the second rebel base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic picks up from where the "Voltron: Legendary Defender" Netflix series ended.
> 
> I am introducing a new character - Noor. She is an Indian (because a, why not, and b, represent!). I am going to slip in some desi tidbits and references to make her character more realistic and bring out the diversity. Plus, I love seeing an Indian woman in the world of Voltron talk about Indian things and do Indian stuff haha! Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have about these parts of each chapter!

* * *

"Hey...Noor, can we come in?" Pidge peeked into the room at the girl who lay on the bed staring out the window.

"We?" She whispered and turned to look at Pidge.

"I brought a friend...a Queen actually...but don't be scared...she's really nice. She would like to meet you."

Noor nodded slowly and Pidge smiled in relief. She opened the door fully and walked in, followed closely by Ryner.

"Noor...this is Queen Ryner of the Olkari...we are on their home planet right now."

Ryner smiled gently and walked up to the bed. Noor looked at her unsure but seeing her kind eyes, she smiled meekly.

"Hello, my dear", Ryner sat on a stool nearby while Pidge sat at the foot of the bed.

"Hello…"

"I am told you are from Earth?"

"Yes."

"I know you've been through a lot, Noor...but do you mind if I...inspect you a little bit?"

"Umm...", Noor glanced nervously at Pidge who nodded reassuringly, "...sure."

"Thank you."

Ryner walked over to Noor and felt her temperature. As she examined her, she continued her inquiries.

"Do you remember anything they did...in the lab?"

"No…"

Ryner placed one finger between her eyebrows and the rest just above her forehead and inhaled deeply. She frowned.

"Do you remember any odours...?"

"No…"

She laid her other hand on her chest and pressed her palm into her skin. She closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate harder.

"Do you remember any colors?"

Noor closed her eyes, trying hard to remember and after several seconds, spoke again.

"I think...when they tied me, they injected me with something to put me to sleep...but before I lost consciousness, I saw a bright light…"

Ryner stepped closer and observed the girl's eyes. They were a beautiful chestnut brown. Despite her trauma and fatigue, there was still a spark in them.

"I...I just thought it was my vision flashing as I...passed out."

"Hmmm…", Ryner gazed at the marks on her body.

She gently placed her hand on the girl's arm and gave it a light squeeze.

"Noor…", she smiled, "it's a beautiful name."

"Th...thanks."

"Do you know what it means?" Ryner grinned.

"Yes, it means 'the light'."

"Noor", Ryner sat down once more, "we are going to try and rescue the other prisoners tonight."

Noor's face froze.

"Yeah", Pidge continued, "We found another base...well the Olkari found another base. Krolia...Keith's mother...is leading the team."

For a brief second, Pidge thought she saw hope on the girl's face. But before she could be sure, Noor's gaze drifted off into the distance as if she was trying to see the planet her companions were trapped on.

"Can I...come with you?"

Pidge and Ryner glanced at each other.

"Uhh...that won't be possible", Pidge hesitated. "But I promise you, we're going to do everything we can to get them all back."

"You can join me in the control room", Ryner stated assuringly, "we will be keeping an eye on everything from here."

Noor nodded.

"Alright, dear. I'll let you rest. If you begin to remember anything, make sure to tell Pidge."

As they walked towards the door, Noor called out suddenly.

"I remember blue."

"Blue?" Pidge turned around bewildered.

"I mean...it felt like a dream...but while I was passed out...all I could see was blue."

"Hmm…", Ryner exhaled, "thank you."

With that they exited the room, Pidge carefully closed the door behind her.

"Pidge", Ryner paused outside. "You said you submerged her in a tub to control her fever?"

"Yeah, it was Shiro's idea. It worked!"

She looked at Pidge thoughtfully, "When you were in the water with her...did you notice anything out of the ordinary?"

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure."

"I don't know if this means anything...", Pidge shuffled nervously.

She had felt the same hesitation when she called Shiro and Keith to the bathroom. At the time, she didn't know how to explain it to them. And now, she didn't know now how to explain it to Ryner. She wasn't even sure if it had really happened. She was too preoccupied with her game.

She had managed to make up something with Shiro and Keith, but she knew she couldn't get away with something as unconvincing as _'she moved'_ with Ryner.

"Go on…", Ryner interrupted her thoughts.

"I could feel the water...umm...it felt as if the water was sparkly...but of course it could have just been reflections from the bathroom light or the flashes from the video game I was playing."

"How long was she in the tub?"

"About 45 minutes."

"Interesting."

* * *

"SHIRO? Do you copy?" Pidge screamed into her comm. After a few seconds she yelled again. "KEITH? Do you copy? Anyone?!" she groaned.

After few more seconds, she stated decisively, "Something's not right."

"I'm on it", Tara called out.

Pakim and Pidge looked ahead as two pods made their way down to the base. There had been no movements outside the base for the last 15 minutes and neither had there been any communication from their team.

"Pidg...can...hear..", a voice crackled on the comm system.

"Shiro! Is that you?" Pidge jumped up.

"Yes...we…..they are…"

"Shiro? I can't hear you. You're breaking up."

There were a few seconds of static and then another voice boomed across the room.

"Pidge…"

"Keith?"

"They were expecting us."

"What?" Pidge exclaimed.

Just then they saw a small craft rise in the distance, behind the base.

"Pakim! Get me a visual on that", Pidge ordered.

Pakim pulled up a video. As the drone zoomed in, they saw a small group of masked people boarding the craft.

"That's it? There are just...rebels on it", Pidge wondered out loud. "Where are the prisoners?"

"Over there", Tara pointed to the base.

They saw their team run out of the building, each holding on to an injured person.

"That's only four prisoners", Pidge counted. "I thought there were more."

They could see Krolia and Luten load the prisoners onto the pods as Shiro and Keith ran back inside. Pidge stared in horror, as a bright orange light exploded from the building. A loud sound boomed all around them, and then the entire building was engulfed in flames.

"SHIRO! KEITH!" Pidge cried out.

When the smoke and dust settled a bit, Pakim pointed down, "They're alright."

Pidge watched as two bodies crawled away from the flames and into the second pod.

"Get those pods here", Pidge whispered, "Now."

As the pods ascended towards them, another explosion took over the adjacent structures. Soon, the entire base was alit.

* * *

Noor stood in front of the screen in the control room beside Ryner.

She could hear Shiro and Luten as they found the prisoners. She could hear Keith and Krolia as they fought the guards. She could hear Shiro gasp and yell something that was lost in the crackling disturbances over the comm system. She could hear Krolia commanding them to retreat. She could hear Keith demand that they take the injured prisoners with them. She could hear Luten instructing the rest of the prisoners to follow him. She could hear the grunts and groans as they encountered more guards and struggled to make their way out.

Then everything went silent.

Several minutes later, she watched as hypnotic lights set the night ablaze.

After that, she heard nothing.

Not the explosions. Not the gasps and sobs of the people behind her. Not the screeches over the comm system. Not the terrified voice of Pidge as she yelled out for Shiro and Keith.

She felt nothing.

Not the goosebumps that lined her skin. Not the trembles that engulfed her body. Not the Queen's hand that grabbed her and pulled her into her arms.

The last thing she saw as she fell into the embrace was the black smoke giving way to a raging orange monster that devoured the only human she could call family.


	6. Change of plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team tries a different interrogation approach with the terrorist. The rescue operation has now turned into a mission to flush out the terrorists and unearth their secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic picks up from where the "Voltron: Legendary Defender" Netflix series ended.
> 
> Doing my best to keep the chapters short but with enough content to make the story move forward with each one. It is a conscious decision on my part to take my time in bringing out the overall story arc and slowly build up to the 'cross over'. Hope you're having as much fun reading it as I am writing it!

* * *

"What the HELL happened?" Pidge demanded as she stormed into the infirmary where Keith and Shiro were tending to their wounds.

The four prisoners they had managed to rescue were conscious, but barely. Luten and Krolia stood against a wall, their faces contorted into deep frowns.

"They were ready for us", Keith groaned.

"How!"

"Somehow, they knew of the attack on Naxzela", Shiro muttered.

"How is that possible? We wiped all the guards' memories. There was no other comm system or any advanced tech there for that matter."

"The rebels could have visited Naxzela after you guys left", Krolia replied.

"I knew something like this would happen", Keith gritted his teeth, "we waited too long. We should have attacked earlier. We could have still caught them by surprise."

"So what's the status now?" Pidge sighed.

"All we know is any rebels that were there...escaped", Shiro replied.

"Terrorists", Pidge muttered through gritted teeth, "...they are terrorists."

"And only four prisoners survived", Keith whispered.

A silence descended on them. Looks of guilt, sorrow, and regret passed over everyone's faces.

"Wait", Keith looked up, "where are the…"

"They were in the control room on Olkarion when it happened", Pidge's voice trembled. "They saw everything."

* * *

Back on Olkarion, Shiro ordered Luten and Tara to take the rescued people to the guest quarters. As they made their way to Ryner's quarters, Pidge spoke.

"So...let's see...we have rescued 10 people. We _know_ there are terrorists out there who know we know about them now. We have only one in captivity and he still hasn't said anything."

"Sounds about right", Keith muttered.

"What do we do now?"

"We need to get these people home. I'll talk to Ryner so we can begin contacting their planet representatives. Then…", Shiro's voice trailed off.

"Then we go after them", Pidge completed his sentence.

"Yes", Shiro sighed.

""You two don't have to do this", Keith stood in front of them, "I called you here for a rescue mission. We have done that. You've already been sucked into more than what you bargained for."

"Are you trying to take all the glory?" Pidge punched him grinning.

"We're staying Keith", Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder, "we're a team."

* * *

"I have alerted the Galaxy Alliance. We'll get them home", Ryner leaned forward. "Any progress with the terrorist creature?"

"Nothing", Keith muttered in frustration. "He hasn't said a word."

"Alright", Shiro began, "Keith and I will begin putting together a team."

"Pakim...Tara…", Keith addressed his Blades, "You guys are going to head back with our craft and join the relief efforts. We'll need a bigger craft anyway. "

"I have that covered", Ryner stood up with a grin. "Come along, Pidge. You're going to want to see this."

She led them to an enormous facility. On one side of the hangar, a large, sleek, and shiny spacecraft stood in full glory.

"Woah...what the…", Pidge gasped.

"It's the latest craft designed by the Olkari."

"Yeah", Shiro found his voice, "...this should do."

"Uhuh...yep", Keith nodded in disbelief.

"OH MY GOD", Pidge squealed in delight and ran into the craft.

Inside, Pidge bounced around gawking, cooing, and talking at a dizzying speed.

"You've engineered your energy source into cubes that can power this craft much more efficiently!"

"Look at this! Seamless integration of technology of every kind! I can play any kind of game here! My robots can interface with the ship!"

"Most of the controls are neural interfaces!"

"You've modified the teludav structure at a molecular level. Now we can wormhole way faster than the Castleship!"

"This whole ship is designed like the forest you guys built...everything is connected!

"Yes, don't ever forget that", Ryner looked deep into her eyes, "everything is connected."

* * *

"Can I have a word with you?" Ryner pulled Shiro aside as the others explored their new craft.

"Of course", Shiro followed her further away from the team.

"I think Noor should visit the creature."

"Noor?" Shiro looked astonished. "But she's...still in trauma."

"I understand, but we don't have much time. He may say something useful if he sees her."

"But Queen Ry..."

"I'm not saying we'll force her or send her in there alone, Shiro. I am suggesting that you talk to her and request her to do this."

* * *

Shiro and Pidge waited patiently. Noor hadn't responded yet. They knew it was a lot to ask of her so soon after her rescue and so soon after she witnessed the death of her fellow humans. None of the other earth prisoners had survived.

"Noor", Pidge began, "you can say no. It's alri..."

"I'll do it."

They looked at the girl and then at each other in surprise.

"You'll do it?"

"Yes", Noor nodded at Pidge.

"You understand that you will be in the same room as him right?" Shiro clarified.

"But you won't be alone", Pidge added hastily.

"Yes. I want to be in the same room as him. And if that's what it will take to get answers...any answers, I'll do it."

"Alright, then", Shiro stood up. "Come with us."

* * *

"I still don't think she should be here", Keith whispered to Shiro.

"Look, all our attempts to threaten him, cut a deal with him, access his memories...everything has failed. It's worth a shot."

"Does she know I'm the one going in with her?"

"Uhhh….", Pidge and Shiro bit their lips.

"Great", Keith groaned.

Pidge opened the door and Shiro nodded at Noor as she entered the room. She was scared. He could see her shallow breaths even as she tried to stay steady and maintained a neutral face.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Noor. Keith will be there with you."

Noor's eyes widened in alarm as she looked at Pidge in confusion.

"Shiro's tried interrogating him several times but to no avail", Pidge offered. "Keith was the one that found him... and you. Maybe he'll have a better chance. And he's scarier."

"Not helping, Pidge", Keith grunted.

"No, it's fine", Noor muttered and lowered her eyes.

Keith noticed her fists clench ever so slightly as she walked towards the door. He couldn't read her expression but decided to trust Shiro's judgement and followed her in. As soon as they entered, the terrorist looked up and for the first time, his face lost its stoic composure.

"You're...you...you survived."

"Survived what?" Keith stood beside her and looked at the creature menacingly.

"This is...this is fantastic."

"What did you do to me", Noor's voice trembled as she stepped closer with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Finally! It works..."

"Answer her question", Keith lunged at him and caught him by the collar.

The only reply he got was a satisfied laugh.

"What's your name? Who are you guys? What do you want?" Keith grew angrier with every word.

"They'll come for her...they'll find her", was all he said before returning to a stoic look. "And they will finish what we started."

* * *

"She'll be safer with us", Keith finally broke the silence.

He sat across from Shiro and Pidge. They had been trying to come to a decision about what to do with the terrorist and figure out what his sinister words meant.

"We can leave him with the Coalition. They can inform us if they get anything else out of him", he continued.

"We can leave Noor under their protection too", Shiro countered.

"He said they are going to come for her", Keith argued. "If she is on Olkarion, they _will_ attack this planet. It would put fewer people at risk if she just came with us."

"This way, if we find them, it may help us understand what they did to her and undo it, if necessary", Pidge added. "And she could be helpful in our search."

"But she doesn't remember anything", Shiro shook his head.

"They're looking for her. They might just find us before we find them. Plus I have a feeling that with time, her memory _will_ return", Pidge went on.

"Even so, she is not trained for such missions."

"If I remember correctly", Pidge smirked, "neither were we when we were forced to join Voltron."

" _Please_ , Shiro", Keith implored.

Shiro frowned and held Keith's gaze. But seeing the sincerity and determination in his eyes, he conceded.

* * *

"Noor, it's Shiro...may I come in?"

"Yes", he heard a feeble voice from inside. She was still shaken up from the interrogation.

Shiro sat by her legs and took in a deep breath, "The team thinks it would be best if you come with us instead of staying on Olkarion or returning to Earth. What do you think of that?"

Noor looked at Shiro and then outside the window.

"Shiro...do you have anyone...on Earth? Someone who loves you...someone you can go home to?"

"Yes, my husband."

"And if something were to happen to him...would you want to find out...what happened...who did it?"

"Yes", Shiro replied softly.

"I have no family on Earth. My parents died during the Galran attack. The only person I could call family...died in that explosion."

"Noor...I'm sorry…"

She turned to look at him, her eyes shining with the tears she was holding back.

"I don't want to go back to Earth", she stated matter of factly.

Her fingers traced the scars on her skin and then moved up to the wounds on her neck. She shut her eyes and her eyebrows furrowed together. She stayed silent for several seconds.

"I want to find out what they did to me", she spoke eventually, "I need to know why this happened."

Her deep brown eyes held a whirlwind of emotions in them. He nodded slowly and left the room, hoping he was making the right decision.

* * *

"Alright team", Shiro stood at the head of the table. "We don't have much time so let's make this a quick introduction." He glanced at Keith.

"Keith is the second in command on this mission. He is, as most of you know, the former Red Paladin and a Blade."

"Pidge, is our comm…", he caught the frown on Pidge's face, "I mean our overall resident tech genius", he sighed and then grinned at the satisfied girl, "and former Green Paladin."

"Luten, has been a Captain at the Garrison for several years now. He is a valuable asset for our ground operations."

He turned to the two new faces, "They have been on the last two missions at the rebel bases."

"Terrorist", Pidge corrected him.

"Yes, sorry. Terrorist bases. And this...", he turned to the team and gestured to the woman sitting to his right, "is Bani. She is an Olkari and knows this craft better than any of us. And she is also going to be useful as a medic."

"Wow", Pidge gasped. "You guys can do everything, huh?"

Bani blushed at the comment.

"And this...", Shiro glanced at the woman on his other side, "...is Noor. She was...kidnapped by the terrorists and so far is our only potential source. We know that they are after her and that might help in our search."

Noor kept her eyes focussed on the wall across from her.

"Is that all?" Luten looked around. "I thought there were going to be eight of us."

"Well", Keith began, "this is our seventh member..."

Luten gasped as a giant form began to materialize beside Keith.

"Everyone…", Keith grinned, "this is Kosmo. Our Tele Pup."

"What's that?" Bani looked at the dog, intrigued.

"He can teleport at will", Keith smiled and petted the dog.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Noor. Her gaze had finally moved from the wall and was now fixed on Kosmo. He was taken aback when Kosmo teleported to Noor and nuzzled against her arm. Noor looked surprised as well but didn't flinch. She stared at the dog, who had leaned in closer, and slowly massaged his neck. Her expression didn't thaw but her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.

"That still only makes 7 of us though", Bani realized.

"That's right", Shiro grinned.

"We're going to get the 8th member next", Pidge gleamed with joy.

"And what is his role?" Bani asked.

"He's going to be our cook."


	7. The Yellow Paladin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor is still reeling from the death of her fellow prisoners. Hunk is back and Noor’s reaction to his presence is quite unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic picks up from where the "Voltron: Legendary Defender" Netflix series ended.
> 
> I have drawn a lot from my own experiences with mental health, trauma, panic attacks and recovery. Hopefully, the emotions I try to instill the characters and scenes with come across as genuine and maybe even relatable for some of you!

* * *

Pidge and Shiro ran to her room. This was their second night on the ship and each night had unfolded in the same way. They heard her scream again and rushed inside to find her crouched on the ground against a wall.

"Noor!" Pidge ran forward and knelt beside her, "what happened?"

Noor was shivering. She looked up at them and jumped back, her eyes wide open.

"I…", she looked around, "I saw...they...why am I on the floor?"

"You were screaming. Did you have a dream again?" Shiro helped her back on the bed.

Out of nowhere, Kosmo appeared by their side. All three were startled but Noor seemed to calm down as the dog put his head on her lap.

"I think so…", she gently massaged Kosmo.

"You must have fallen down in your sleep", Pidge handed her a glass of water.

"Thank you", she held the glass but her hands trembled too much for her to take a sip.

"What did you dream about?"

"I don't remember clearly. I saw flashes. There was the blue again. Then I saw that man..."

Her voice faltered.

"It's alright", Shiro sat beside her. "You're safe."

"...he came towards me with an injection. I couldn't move."

"You should sleep", Pidge took the glass from her hand. "Do you...do you want me to stay?"

"No", Noor shook her head and got under the blanket. Kosmo lay by her feet and they heard her breathing calm down.

Shiro and Pidge walked out, glancing over their shoulder before leaving. As they closed the door, Pidge nearly jumped when she saw Keith in front of her.

"Keith! What in the name of...you scared me!"

"Is she okay?" Keith asked Shiro, leaning against the wall opposite the door.

"She had a nightmare. It's only been three days since...the explosions. It'll take some time."

"Have you been standing here the whole time?" Pidge said in an irritated tone, "Why didn't you just come in?"

"You two were already in there", he shrugged.

"Are you just bugged that Kosmo sleeps with her instead of you now?" Pidge smirked.

"No", Keith replied softly and began walking back to his room.

"I need to get some sleep too", Pidge yawned.

"Yeah", Shiro slowly walked away as well.

* * *

"Why are we here on Vrepisal?" Bani looked at Shiro confused.

"It's the planet with the best food in all the galaxies…" Pidge snickered.

"And with our last team member", Keith grinned.

"I think I've heard of Vrepisal", Luten perked up. "Isn't this where…"

"HUNK!" Pidge shrieked and ran ahead and straight into the arms of a beaming giant wearing a chef's uniform and yellow apron.

"Pidge! Oh it's so nice to see you. Look at you", he placed her back down, "you've become taller!"

"That is accurate", Pidge gave him a smug smile.

"Keith! Shiro!" Hunk pulled both men into a tight embrace, nearly picking them off the ground too.

"Uhh...Hunnkk...nice to…"

"Ughh...you're kinda...crushin…"

"Oh, sorry!" Hunk let go. "I'm just SO happy to see you all."

"Same here, buddy", Shiro patted the young man's arm.

"Man, you've gotten stronger", Keith groaned as he rotated and flexed his arm.

Hunk looked at the group and counted.

"Shiro, I think one of you is...missing."

"No, she's...resting. She still hasn't recovered fully."

"Oh okay…", Hunk replied sympathetically.

"Well come inside!" He tried lightening the mood. "I was just preparing dinner. In my experience...a happy stomach is necessary for important discussions."

Keith rolled his eyes and entered the diner that Hunk helped build when he began his journey as an intergalactic chef., Bani and Luten followed, eyes wide open in wonder. This was the first time they were meeting the universe renowned chef who had catered several crucial diplomatic missions and brought bickering leaders together in peace.

After dinner, everyone sighed in contentment.

"Man, I've missed your cooking", Pidge groaned and leaned back in her seat.

"Me too", Keith sighed in satisfaction.

"Alright", Hunk turned to Shiro. "When are we leaving?"

"Don't you want to know more…"

"Whatever it is, it must be huge if you guys are on the mission. And I am _not_ saying no to my team."

"Thank you, Hunk", Shiro smiled gratefully. "We should leave tonight itself then."

"Not a problem", Hunk jumped up. "I always have a bag ready to leave at a moment's notice. You never know when the next peace summit turns into a food fight!"

The paladins laughed as they remembered their first bonding moment. After everything they had tried, all it took was a food fight to help them form Voltron.

"And I'll pack a meal for the other team member...what was her name?" Hunk paused.

"Noor…", Keith answered before anyone else could reply.

He looked around and saw everyone staring at him.

"What? I know her name!"

"Noor...It's a beautiful name", Hunk whispered as he left.

"I wish Lance were here too", Pidge grinned, "then it would be just like old times."

"Me too", Shiro chuckled. "But he seems to be content with where he is for now."

"You know what Lance would say if he was here?" Pidge smirked. " _Hey there...little lady...Noor, my girl...how about I take you for a ride in my lion?"_

Shiro laughed at Pidge's impression and Keith rolled his eyes prompting Pidge to carry on.

" _Hey you...mister mullet...back off...she's mine…"_

"Very funny, Pidge."

" _I AM funny...funnier than YOU...which is why I'll get the cute girl!"_

"Ooo...is she cute?" Hunk reappeared with three overstuffed bags and a large take away box.

" _Sort of…"_ , Keith muttered under his breath before realizing what he said.

He coughed, hoping no one had heard that, and continued, "What is all that, Hunk?"

"Oh, just the essentials...a cooker, some spices, clothes, pans, herbs, shoes, aprons, snacks, pasta maker, dried fruits…"

"Do you really need all that?" Keith snapped.

"Do you guys want good food...or not?" Hunk raised an eyebrow.

"Yep, we do! Let's go", Pidge glared at Keith.

She whispered in Keith's ear, " _Zip it or I'll tell everyone you think she is 'sort of' cute._ "

Keith groaned.

"Hold this", Hunk dropped the box into an annoyed Keith's hand. "It's for Noor."

* * *

"Do we have everything?"

"Yes, we are ready to leave."

"Good. Bani?" Shiro called out to the Olkari pilot.

"All systems check, Shiro. Where do you want me to head us to?"

"Pidge?"

"I modified my old 'Galra finder". We have only two data points so far but I added another variable...likely planets that could be used as hidden bases. The algorithm should, within a statistically acceptable margin of error, provide a list of target-rich environments...color-coded, of course, because what are we, animals?"

"Pidge!"

"I was able to program our journey so we can cover the plausible sites in the most efficient way", Pidge ignored Keith. "Also, based on the bio-signatures and chemical markers I scanned at both bases, once we get within a certain distance of the planets, I will be able to tell if any terrorists were or are present there, assuming of course that there are no new races in the group that weren't already there when we attacked."

"Get to the point, Pidge", Shiro shook his head.

"Senfama", Pidge stated as she pulled up a map on the screen. "That's where we are going first."

"What's Senfama?" Luten asked.

"It's another moon world, similar to Olkarion…the old Olkarion", Bani replied.

"It was one of the planets where the Galrans made a Zaiforge cannon", Shiro added.

"Oh, yes! It's a reclaimed territory now", Luten nodded.

"Yep…", Keith smiled, "it's all jungle and no people."

"We'll see about that", Shiro turned to face the screen. "How long to Senfama?"

"Just under two days", Bani replied.

"Any other news from the Coalition or the Blade?"

"Nothing yet."

"Alright", Shiro relaxed and turned to the rest of the group. "Looks like we have time to kill."

"You mean...to relax?" Pidge asked.

"He means", Keith stood up and stretched, "to train."

"I definitely did not miss _this_ part of the missions."

"C'mon, Pidge", Keith sneered, "or have you gone all soft hiding between those robots of yours?"

"Uh...guys?" Hunk interrupted. "Can someone take me to Noor. She hasn't eaten anything all day, right?"

"Yeah", Pidge shrugged. "I tried…"

"I don't blame her. This ship's food is awful. No offense Bani", Hunk yelled over his shoulder.

"None taken", Bani yelled back.

"Wait till she smells my food...she's gonna gobble it all up."

"Are you sure? She may just gobble you up", Pidge grinned. "See those scars on Keith's arms. She did that."

"For the last time! I wasn't trying to fight back! She was weak and I didn't want to hurt her. Can we drop it now!?"

"Wow, someone's touchy", Pidge laughed before grabbing Hunk by the arm and leading him to Noor's room.

* * *

Pidge knocked on the door. "Noor, I have food...my friend cooked it...for you."

"Hey! Noor!" Hunk waved at the closed door, "It's me. Hunk. I cooked you a delicious meal. You should have it while it's hot."

The door opened abruptly and Noor's face popped out.

"The yellow paladin?"

"Yup, that's me!"

She looked at the box in his hand.

"You're Hunk? The chef-diplomat?"

"Is that what they're calling me?"

"I mean...that's the gist of it", Noor opened the door and let them in.

Pidge blinked in surprise at how at ease Noor seemed around Hunk. As they walked in, they noticed Kosmo wagging his tail at Hunk.

"Kosmo!" Hunk exclaimed, "You're here too?"

"Yeah", Pidge sat down, "he hasn't left her side."

"Aww...that's sweet", Hunk patted the dog, "Here", he handed Noor the box, "You should eat something."

Once again, to Pidge's surprise, Noor didn't hesitate. She reached for the box and peered in, taking in a light sniff. Her eyes widened and then closed as she went on to inhale the scent of the food. She sighed and a sad smile spread across her face.

"Is this…", she murmured.

"Khichdi...yep", Hunk beamed.

"What's...kichty?" Pidge leaned over to see.

"It's khi-ch-dee…", Hunk enunciated. "It's an Indian dish."

"How did you know…", Noor asked.

"Pidge told me you were from India", Hunk rubbed the back of his neck, "I thought having something from home would help."

Pidge saw as Noor's eyes welled up with tears. And for the first time, Noor didn't hold them back. She placed the box beside her and leapt into Hunk's arms. As she sobbed, Hunk patted her back and whispered soothing words.

"It's alright. I know it must be scary... being among complete strangers and not knowing what's happening. But my team is your family now. And we're going to do everything we can to find those nasty terrorists."

"Thank you", Noor managed to say between hiccups.

Pidge was heartened at the sight. For the first time since the explosion, she had seen Noor show an emotion other than panic, anger or fear. At least now, she was sad.

* * *

"She's asleep", Pidge announced as she and Hunk joined Shiro and Keith in his room.

"Fast asleep", Hunk grinned.

"Yep", Pidge nodded, "she really did gobble up all the food and dozed off as soon as her head hit the pillow."

"That's a good sign. She's making progress", Shiro smiled.

"You have no idea", Pidge raised her eyebrows, "one minute with Hunk and she cried like a little baby."

"What?" Keith looked up, dropping aside the book he was reading.

"Yeah...she was...she finally let herself be sad", Hunk replied, his face becoming heavy with sympathy.

"Wow, Hunk", Shiro leaned back, "that's amazing. Now I understand how you manage to smooth over those peace meetings."

"Good food and happy stomachs make people more open to change and new ideas."

"Of course", Keith rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure having Kosmo around is helping her too", Hunk added.

Keith didn't say anything. He picked his book and began reading once more. But his mind was wandering off and he kept reading the same line over and over again. Seeing Noor lost and afraid, somehow made him think back to his childhood.

If it hadn't been for Shiro, he wouldn't have been able to get his life together. Shiro had never given up on him. After Shiro told them that Noor had no home or family to go back to, he had hoped they would be able to do the same for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The yellow paladin was my favorite tbh. I totally see Hunk playing the role of the sympathetic agony aunt. He understands fear and the effort it takes to move past it to face scary situations head on. I love him!


	8. Noor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor's POV on everything so far.

* * *

The first and last thing that Noor saw was a blinding light and then everything disappeared into it, as if sucked in by some terrible force. When she regained consciousness, she was buried under rubble. No one heard her cries for help. Minutes, hours, maybe even days passed. She couldn't tell.

Then there were hands, pulling her out, lifting her up, saying words she couldn't quite grasp. All she could manage to say was the names of her parents. They took her to a hospital and more days passed her by. When she was strong enough to walk, she went from person to person, from one room to another, from one list to the next. But there was no sign of her family.

They told her they that very few people had survived. They told her that if anyone had been found alive, they would be in this hospital. They told her all the dead bodies that hadn't been evaporated by the cannon's beam were in another location, waiting their turn to be cremated.

She begged, screamed, commanded them to discharge her. Against their advice, she ran out of the hospital and to the location of the dead. After more begging and screaming and commanding, she was allowed to search for her parents.

Each body was either disfigured, burnt, or severely decimated. But she didn't stop. After hours and hours of looking, her heart froze when she noticed two familiar shapes. Shaking, she made her way closer. A trembling hand reached out and turned over the larger body. Her knees gave way as she saw the half burnt face of her father. Her breathing quickened, her heart was racing as she leaned over and turned the other body over.

A heartbreaking wail filled the room as she covered her face in disgust and despair. She couldn't bear to see her mother's body. Most of it was mutilated. Only a fraction of the left side of her body was intact, the skin hanging off it as if held by a single fragile thread. She saw remnants of a tattoo on her neck and knew who it was.

She fell back and hid her face in her knees as she rocked back and forth.

"No….no….no…", she chanted over and over.

* * *

Six months had passed since the Galran attack on Earth, but she was still stuck in _that_ room filled with dead bodies. With the dead bodies of her mother and father.

Every night had been a battlefield. She dreaded sleep.

She had no desire to return to her old life, if that was even a possibility.

She found solace in working in the hospital, assisting in the rehabilitation program in any way she could. She had survived and she didn't know how or why. To her own and everyone else's surprise, she had healed quickly and was in a much better condition than the other victims. She was driven by a sense of guilt and anger. Anger that she couldn't help her parents. Guilt from being the one who survived. She would do anything in her power to prevent that from happening to any other family.

She met him one day in the lunchroom. He had lost an arm but not his spirit, unlike her. Every day spent with him, reignited her own spirit. She let him in and allowed herself to form a new if broken and bruised family with him. Her nightmares had turned into visions that she couldn't make any sense of. She would try to hold on to them in the morning, but they would always slip out of her mind's grasp.

A few more months later, a masked group of creatures descended on her. He tried to help her, but they captured him as well. They didn't want to leave any witnesses, they said. Her body fought hard until it couldn't. They injected her and when she awoke, she was surrounded by other prisoners. People from other planets, as confused and frightened as her. But at least, he was still by her side.

* * *

They dragged her to a room. She had seen others being taken over the last few days. And when they returned, they were barely alive. They always recovered but they seemed hollow, empty shells. She squinted in pain as she was pushed into a bright room.

She yelled, cried, bit, kicked, spat, roared but was overpowered. They gagged her, pinned her down, bound her, injected her over and over. As she began falling asleep, she thought she heard them talk to her. She thought they were telling her that she is helping a bigger cause. That she was on a virtuous path now. That they would change the world.

She woke up to astonished faces that quickly turned to excitement. They seemed pleased with her. A few more days passed and then, in the middle of the night, she felt a rough cloth wrap around her head. What followed was a long uncomfortable ride. When she was yanked out of her seat, she was in a new place and saw only five other prisoners. This time, he was not by her side.

Against all her hopes and prayers, he never came. She called out for him every night, wondering if he was still alive. Wondering if she was still alive. When they opened her cell and pulled her out, she knew that she was alive. That the pain would not go away. That her nightmare was still not over. That she was powerless.

* * *

She had been injected so many times that her arms had become a graveyard of bruises, clots, and scars. She knew what came next, a fading vision, a numbing body, a gentle descent into the void. But this time, there was blinding light that seemed to call out to her, fill her, embrace her. When she passed out, it felt different from the previous times.

She didn't float around in a silent void. It seemed like she was passing through an endless blue. Deeper and deeper. She felt herself being yanked just as she was emerging on the other side of it, and her body began falling back the way she came. She was dragged back by some unknown force. She couldn't tell if it was a part of the dream or if it was real, but she saw a body reach out to her as she fell back out of the blue and straight into its arms.

* * *

She was engulfed in flames but she was shivering.

She felt trapped in her own body but then, she felt a gentle soothing glow all around her that extinguished the flames inside her.

Her eyes flickered open for a brief second when she felt a soft comforting warmth around her. She saw another body holding her close. A glimpse of another person floating in the water with her.

She thought she heard the beautiful sound of lapping waves that she had always loved. She let herself drift along with them.

* * *

She couldn't breathe. She had been underwater for too long. She fought her way to the surface and came up for a long overdue breath of air. Before she could catch her breath, she saw a body looming over her, reaching for her. Her voice found its way out of her throat and she let out a shriek, barely recognizing her own voice.

She wouldn't let them get her this time. She saw a scissor from the corner of her eye. Before she knew what she was doing, she jumped at it and faced him. She would fight. She heard her voice bark and growl.

"Get away...don't come any closer."

"I won't hesitate to use this."

"I said STAY BACK."

Her head was spinning and she clutched the side of the bed with one hand, the other hand still pointing the scissor at him. She shook her head to clear the fog. He said he was here to help but she knew better than to believe him. She lunged at him, stabbing him in the arm with the scissor.

"I DON'T trust you!"

"YOU HURT ME!"

And then two more of them came inside. She was surrounded. But their words started to make sense, especially when the one who called himself Shiro said the other five prisoners were also there and they had rescued them and she was in a hospital.

"Fine, but I'll only talk to you. Everyone else has to leave."

* * *

Her mind kept alternating between relief and panic. She didn't trust them but she had no other choice. She decided to tell Shiro whatever she could remember, which wasn't much.

When she heard Pidge's voice outside the hospital door blurting out that she had been in a tub of water with her, Noor felt a tiny sense of comfort. Maybe not all of it was a dream. Maybe Pidge was the warmth she had felt floating in the water with her.

Then, another visitor appeared, a queen nonetheless. None of what she did made sense. But something in her words compelled Noor to trust her. They were going to do everything they could to rescue the other prisoners. She latched on to a tiny ray of hope, and told her the two things she had kept from Shiro. The blinding light and the deep blue.

* * *

Nothing else mattered anymore. She heard nothing. She felt nothing. She felt her tears, her joy, her hope, her soul being destroyed by the fire in the base that held the only family she had left.

* * *

She tried to stay steady and maintain a neutral face, but her breathing was out of control. It didn't help when she was told that Keith was the one going in with her. But then, Pidge's next words took her by surprise. He was the one who found her. Was he the one who had pulled her back out of the blue. Was he the one whose arms she fell into.

It didn't matter either way. She wanted to see her captor. The creature who had tormented her mind, tortured her body, terrorized her nights. But it had only made it worse. His words had sickened every corner of her mind and body.

_"They'll come for her...they'll find her. And they will finish what we started."_

Her family was gone. Her life as she knew it, was changed forever. And she didn't want to go back to Earth. If the danger she had been dragged into could help them find the terrorists, then so be it. She would do whatever she could to aid the team, even if it was the last thing she did.

"I want to find out what they did to me. I need to know why this happened."

* * *

She couldn't believe her eyes. A giant space wolf-dog appeared out of thin air. As she stared at the animal, it walked over to her and nuzzled against her arm. She gazed at the dog as it leaned in closer, and she slowly massaged his neck. She felt her shoulders relax ever so slightly.

She felt its master's gaze on her, but it didn't matter. She was too tired to take in everything that was being said and done as Shiro prepared them for the mission.

* * *

As she lay on her bed, she heard a cheery voice outside her door.

"Hey! Noor! It's me. Hunk. I cooked you a delicious meal. You should have it while it's hot."

She jumped out of her bed and took a peek outside. It was him. She had heard stories about Hunk. He was probably the most scared out of all the paladins. The one least likely to choose the path that he was on, had he been given a choice. But he stayed. He persevered. He pushed past his fears. And he fought bravely. She admired that about him. The fact that he was a total foodie like her was just another bonus.

She reached for the box and peered in, taking in a light sniff. Her eyes widened and then closed as she went on to inhale the scent of the food. She sighed and a sad smile spread across her face. Khichdi.

"I thought having something from home would help."

She felt something inside her thaw. Through the swamp of panic, fear and anger, a sadness emerged. And she welcomed it. And along with it came tears that she could no longer hold back. And she didn't want to. She was glad, almost thankful for them. She placed the box beside her and leapt into Hunk's arms. His soothing words were like drops of rain on her parched soul.

"It's alright. I know it must be scary being among complete strangers and not knowing what's happening. But my team is your family now. And we're going to do everything we can to find those nasty terrorists."

That night, she slept more peacefully than she had in several nights. It helped that Kosmo had stayed by her side.


	9. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor finally leaves her room and joins the group. They have a day to relax before reaching Senfama, and the group decides to make the most of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order to develop the characters and their equations, I am going to sprinkle the story with some 'filler' chapters. 
> 
> If it helps, I have the next 7 chapters written and ready and by the end of those chapters, the bigger picture will become clear!

* * *

"Good morning!" Pidge yawned and stretched as she entered the cafeteria.

Everyone sat around the table as Hunk served breakfast.

"What are these?" Bani held up a spongy puff and stared at it curiously.

"It's a muffin", Hunk smiled and picked one from the basket and took a bite.

Bani followed his lead and bit into hers. Her eyes opened wide and she froze.

"Oh my god...wait...did I just...you're not...she's not like a vegan or allergic or something right? Because that muffin is NOT gluten free AND it has dairy."

"No", Bani's face melted into a smile, "it's delliiccioousss."

"Oh, phew", Hunk sat down. "For a second there, I thought I killed our pilot."

Keith heard the door behind them slide open and turned around. He paused in surprise as Noor walked in, still in his shirt and pyjamas.

"Uhh…"

Shiro followed his gaze. "Oh...Noor! How are you feeling?"

Noor wrapped her arms around herself as she nodded in acknowledgment.

"Just in time for some breakfast", Hunk waved the girl over to sit beside him.

"Yeah, come join us", Pidge scooted over nudging Keith aside to make space for Noor. " _Move, Keith_ ", she whispered.

"Huh...uhh...yeah", Keith slid down.

He noticed how different she looked. Her face looked relaxed as if for the first time in four nights she had slept properly. She still seemed unsure but there was a certain stability in the way she walked and the way her eyes scanned the room. As she joined them at the table, her eyes met his and Keith looked away. Quietly, she sat down between Pidge and Hunk.

"Here", Hunk started putting food on her plate, "...toast, scrambled eggs, fruits, and my very own super special passed-down-by-my-granny muffin! Dig in", he patted her arm.

Noor's stomach growled seeing all the food and all her attention was focussed on the delicious meal in front of her. The group resumed their chatter but she barely followed anything that was said.

"Your food is so good, Hunk", Noor mumbled between mouthfuls. "Are there any more muffins?"

"No can do. I make a small batch each time. They need to be eaten fresh and plus, if I make too many...well that's just not fair to the other dishes", Hunk replied in a somber tone.

Noor resisted the urge to groan out loud.

"But it's good to know you have a huge appetite", Hunk beamed at Noor.

"Yeah", Noor whispered, "I was always teased for how large my appetite was."

"Well, let it run wild and free now!" Hunk chuckled.

Slowly, people began leaving the cafeteria one by one. Noor was thankful for Hunk's company. She was engrossed in the stories from all his diplomatic missions and cooking escapades around the universe.

Her attention wavered for a moment when she saw Keith discreetly place half a muffin on her plate on his way out. She was too afraid to look up but the tiny smile that parted her lips didn't escape Hunk's notice.

* * *

Everyone sat around the lounge and a general chatter filled the air. They had a day to relax before they reached Senfama the next day. Pidge was trying to learn some Hindi words from Noor and asking her all kinds of questions about India.

"Noor", she asked hesitantly, "do you mind if I ask you something?"

Noor shook her head as she continued playing with Kosmo's ears.

"What happened during the attack? I thought the evacuation plans..."

Noor looked at her lap as the memories flooded her mind. The blinding light. The screams. The rubble. The dead bodies.

"It caught everyone off guard. We had no way of protecting ourselves...unlike the Garrison."

"It's all our fault", Pidge's face dropped with guilt. "The Garrison shouldn't have kept the truth from the world. They had no right to."

"Yes, they _didn't_ ", Noor said bitterly but on seeing Pidge's face she added hastily, "but what Samuel and Colleen Holt did, was brave and is probably the only reason I'm still alive."

"Yeah", Pidge smiled, "my parents risked everything because they knew it was the right thing to do."

"What?" Noor looked at her bewildered. "Your parents are...you're...are you Katie Holt?"

"Oh", Pidge adjusted her glasses, "Yeah."

"I didn't realize…"

"Yeah", she groaned, "Pidge is just an annoying name my brother gave me."

"I'm glad I met you, Pidge. I owe your parents my life."

Pidge grinned in embarrassment.

"So", Hunk plonked himself beside them, "we have a whole day to ourselves. What do you wanna do?"

"Uhh…", Noor began, "I...I kinda need clothes", she looked at the pyjama and shirt she was in. "I only have these and the hospital clothes."

"Yeah", Pidge nodded, "...and I'm sure Keith wants his pyjamas back!"

"What!" Noor's eyebrows rose all the way up to her hairline and she heard Keith choke on his drink across from them.

"I...I didn't realize these were…", Noor looked mortified. "I should...I'll return them as soon as…"

"Hmm", Hunk rubbed his chin, "Maybe we can make a stop over at a planet with a mall?"

"Oh, wait!" Bani exclaimed, "I can't believe I forgot! The Queen packed everything that Noor would need during her stay."

"Oh", Noor turned to her, "that's...so kind of her."

"Come along", Bani gestured to her, "it's all in a bag in the storage closet."

* * *

"Umm...wow" Noor gasped when she saw the things Queen Ryner had packed for her. 'This is…"

"We hope this will suffice."

"Oh, no...I mean this is wonderful...more than enough...thank you."

Bani bowed and left her room as Noor browsed through the clothes. There was a simple black tank top, a night pyjama, a pair of comfortable pink shorts and a plain white tee. There was a tunic similar to the ones worn by the Olkari, but bright blue, with dark grey pants.

The other fancier outfit caught her eye, It comprised of a black tee with an off shoulder navy blue crop top over it, and black leggings with a short blue skirt attached on top. Noor wondered when she would ever have use for such an outfit.

The last item was a suit, a blade of marmora suit. She had seen Keith, Luten, and Shiro wearing one just like this. She held it up to her body and looked in the mirror. It felt strange, seeing something so imposing and powerful against her body. She dropped it back on the bed, feeling silly at the mere thought of wearing a warrior's uniform like that one.

As she took off the clothes Keith had apparently loaned her, she began thinking about his thoughtful gesture at breakfast, when he gave her half his muffin. She went over all her interactions with him since she joined them. Despite her hesitation, she couldn't deny that his presence during the interrogation had been comforting. Hearing his steady determined voice had encouraged her to address the terrorist as well. And then there was the fact that he had been the one who found her. Even in her near death condition, he had not left her behind.

Perhaps it was high time she apologized for the way she had attacked him.

* * *

The group was taking turns battling it out in Killbot Phantasm 28. Unsurprisingly, Pidge was in the lead, having crossed all 36 levels. Hunk came a close second at 30, to everyone's shock Bani held third position in a game she had never played before and crossed 29 levels, Shiro was in fourth place at 25 levels, Luten only managed 20 levels much to his irritation.

"I'm coming for you, Pidge", Keith smirked as he took the controller.

Everyone watched in anticipation as Keith zoomed through to level 30. He was sweating by the time he crossed level 33. Everyone was beaming with excitement at the thought of someone defeating Pidge, who squirmed ever so slightly as she watched Keith pass level 34. Keith clutched his lower lip with his teeth and furrowed his brows in concentration. Everyone was engrossed in his gameplay when suddenly Hunk's voice broke the silence.

"Oh, hey...come join us!"

Keith glanced over as Noor walked up to them. She was wearing a black tank top and a loose pair of pink shorts. Her hair was left open and the black waves fell freely on her shoulders. His fingers faltered as he noticed how much fresher and younger she looked, her face healthier and her eyes more alive. He snapped out of it when he heard a series of beeps and then a booming sound.

" _GAME OVER._ "

Keith winced and dragged his hands down his face.

"Yes!" Pidge jumped up. "Better luck next time!"

"Oh man!" Luten groaned.

"You almost had her, Keith!" Shiro sighed.

"Oh well, next time", Hunk shrugged.

"What do we do now?" Bani pouted.

"We can go again! Round two. What say, team?" Pidge beamed.

"Nope."

"No."

"I'm out!"

"Ughh", Pidge groaned. "Fine."

"We should start training", Shiro stood up and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "That means you too", he looked at Noor.

"Uhh...me?"

"Yes. Luten", he turned to the young man, "start with the basics."

"Yes, Sir", Luten jumped up.


	10. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro wants Noor to begin training along with the rest of the team. Noor tries to push through the trauma of being captured and experimented on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments. It's great to engage with you and get useful feedback! Along with character development, I I hope y'all pick up on the hints and references as we move along.

* * *

"What did you do...back on Earth?" Luten asked Noor after they were done with their warm up.

He had noticed how smoothly Noor moved through her exercises. Every move had a purpose and flowed into the next. She may not be a trained soldier but she had potential.

"I...um...I was a dancer."

"Oh…", Luten mumbled.

There was a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

"Oh?" Noor turned around to face him.

"No...I mean…"

"Listen, Captain", her eyes narrowed as she approached him. "As a professional performer, I trained every day for anywhere between 6 to 10 hours to build stamina, strength, agility and of course...hone my technique. Much like you guys do for your _particular_ set of skills."

"Oh...yes…", Luten coughed uncomfortably.

Keith's back was to them as he ran through a set with his dual swords. He stifled a chuckle as he heard the hint of challenge in her tone.

"She has a point", Shiro grinned.

"I didn't mean to offend…", he began.

"Where do we begin", Noor placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow as she continued staring at the now uncomfortable man.

* * *

"So your entire family has been in the military?" Noor sat on the floor across from Luten.

"Yeah, all the way back to the days of monarchy apparently", Luten shrugged. "That's what my great grandfather used to say."

"Wow, that must be nice…knowing your entire family history and lineage. So you're royalty, huh?"

"I guess...", he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "you should hear some of the stories that have been passed down", he laughed and shook his head.

"Like what?"

"Like how there was a time when there were dragons!"

"Dragons!?" Noor glanced at him bewildered.

"Yeah, just good ol' family lore."

"That would be amazing though", she muttered under her breath.

"Alright, enough break time. Take your stance. Let's go through the defensive moves again."

Noor stood up, raising her arms in front of her.

"Just remember", he smiled gently and added as an afterthought, "I won't hurt you. This is _just_ an exercise."

Noor winced as she recalled her reaction when he began teaching her the basic moves an hour ago. She had flinched at his touch as her mind threw her back to the prison and dragged her through every traumatic experience.

She had crouched back and looked at Luten in panic and fear. Shiro rushed to them and encouraged her to relax. He suggested that it was perhaps too early to begin her training. But her stubbornness had taken over and she shook her head, more determined the second time.

She nodded as she slid her right leg back and squatted ever so slightly. She prepared herself for his punches, reminding herself she was safe. Slowly, Luten swiped his arms at her one at a time. Noor blocked his attacks making sure she pushed her arm out as his arm swung down towards her. She blocked each swing with one clean swoop of her arm.

Gradually, Luten picked up the pace and began changing the angles of his attacks to test her reflexes and focus. Shiro smiled in approval as Noor kept deflecting Luten's arms with an increased intensity. He stayed in her vicinity to ensure she didn't push herself too far. He had seen the stubbornness in her eyes.

Suddenly, Luten took a step forward with his next swing, forcing Noor to step back. She paused in surprise but regained her composure quickly and kept blocking him. Satisfied, Luten grinned and kept moving forward attacking her faster from rapidly changing angles. Noor was quick on her feet.

Keith watched as she moved with a graceful agility expected of a dancer. Her transitions were fluid and she moved with precision. After a few more minutes, Luten stopped and stood back. He smiled at Noor who straightened up and relaxed her shoulders.

"Don't tense up your body like that. You'll tire quicker."

Noor nodded and took her stance again.

"I'm going to come closer to your face and chest now. You can either hold up both arms in front of your face like this and block me...", he lifted her arms and put them in the right position, "...or...you can push my arm away with both your hands outstretched in front of you like this", he adjusted her arms once more.

"Got it", Noor practiced both positions a few times.

They went over the drill for several minutes and once again Luten increased the frequency of his attacks. As they began moving, her body stiffened once more and before she knew it, she lost her balance and started falling backwards. In a flash, Luten's hand grabbed her arm and he pulled her back up before she could crash to the ground.

"Thanks", Noor frowned.

"It happens. You're just getting started."

Keith turned away and began a new round against his training bot.

"Alright, combat training is definitely good to build your strength but it's going to take a long time to get to a level where you can fight", Shiro walked over.

Noor restrained the defiance that surged through her body. She knew he was right but she couldn't help feel like she had something to prove.

Everyone here was highly trained and it bothered her how dependent she was on them. Now that she was here, she felt a tiny bit of hope that she could do something to bring the terrorists down, unlike when she was their prisoner. She never wanted to feel that powerless ever again.

"You need to hone a weapon skill", Shiro continued.

"What are those?" Noor pointed at Pidge who was whipping around two long leashes at the bots attacking her.

"Those are lightwhips", Shiro replied. "Come with me."

Noor followed Shiro to the other end of the room and a panel opened to reveal a large collection of weapons.

"These are daggers that expand into a sword like the one he is using", he pointed at Keith, "except his is a Blade weapon."

He picked up another weapon similar to Pidge's.

"There are several types of energy settings on a lightwhip. Each emits different kinds of energies that can electrocute, burn, immobilize and so on. These...are the guns we use, some are long distance, others close range. Lance was our sharpshooter but everyone had a gun on them. These are Hunk's hammers. And everyone gets this...", he picked up a wrist band, "...it's a shield."

Shiro picked up each weapon one by one and demonstrated its use as Noor watched in awe.

"Do you have a preference?"

"Umm…", Noor looked unsure, "I guess being able to shoot at someone before they get close enough to knock me out sounds good."

"Yeah", Shiro chuckled.

He watched as Noor eyed two daggers that lay in one corner.

"Those are twin daggers. They are similar to Keith's but...", he pressed the handle and a row of loops emerged, "...you can also wear them on your knuckles…"

"Like Bagh nakhs?"

"What are those?"

"An Indian weapon...like brass knuckles but with blades on them."

"Oh...well yes...like those then", Shiro pressed the handle again and the knuckles went back in.

"There's more though", he joined the daggers back to back until there was a click and the two were joined, with the blades on either side.

"Whoever wields them, needs to connect to them to be able to transform this into a double sided sword."

"Can you show me?"

"Actually", Shiro sighed, "none of us have used this one."

"Why?"

"Our Bayards came with their own weapons. This was a gift."

"By who?"

"By the Olkari", Keith answered as he walked over to them and placed his swords back on the shelf. "...when we fought alongside them on the old Olkarion planet", he continued wiping his face and neck with a towel.

"The Olkari technology integrates with everything, even with the mind of the person who operates it", Shiro held up two small pin like devices and clipped them on either side of her forehead. "So whoever uses this, will need to find a way to connect with it...using their mind, body and soul."

"Oh", Noor whispered and took the daggers from Shiro.

She clicked them the way she had seen Shiro do, and out came the knuckles. She wore them on both hands and moved them around gently.

"Maybe you could learn how to use these", Shiro smiled at her.

"Actually, I…", Noor looked flustered, "...have used a double sided dagger before...well they were props...for one my performances."

She was secretly elated at the idea of wielding a weapon as lethal and graceful as this.

"Wow, that must have been beautiful", Luten gasped causing her face to turn red.

"Yes, sounds like it was", Shiro grinned, "but for now, let's go to the shooting range."

* * *

She nodded at everything Shiro said as he showed her how to hold her gun, correct her stance, aim at the target, and then shoot. The first time she fired a shot, she was not prepared for the sheer power of the weapon. She fell back and barely managed to stabilize herself.

She felt a hand grip her shoulders and immediately froze. Her mind threw her back to every time she was dragged out of her prison cell, or pinned down while they strapped her in.

On instinct, she turned around and pushed him away. Shiro saw the fear in her eyes. He realized what he had just done, that his touch had triggered her, that she still didn't entirely trust him or her surroundings.

"Noor...I'm sorry…"

"I...I…", she fumbled for words biting her lip. "I think I need to take a break."

* * *

Keith was making his way to the shooting range when he saw Noor run out the door and rush past him. Bewildered, he jogged into the room to see what had happened.

"Shiro? Is everything alright? I just saw Noor…"

"It's all my fault", Shiro sighed, "She fired the gun for the first time and fell back and I was just trying to steady her but I think it scared her when I grabbed her by the shoulders."

"You should have seen her face, Keith", he turned around and faced him. "She was terrified of me."

"I _have_ seen that face", Keith patted the distraught man's arm.

"Oh, right", Shiro grinned.

"Be thankful she didn't stab you or shoot at you", Keith grunted.

"She seems to be fine around Hunk and Pidge."

"And Luten", Keith added.

Shiro gave a sideways glance and saw the grumpy expression on Keith's face.

"Does that bother you?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"I mean...it bothers me that somehow we trigger her and the others don't."

"If it makes you feel any better", Shiro smirked, "she reacted the same way the first time Luten touched her during training."

"Oh…", Keith muttered.

"Think it'll go away with time?" Shiro looked at the door with concern.

"Hopefully."

* * *

"Hey Kosmo", Keith put his book aside and ruffled the dog's hair.

He chuckled as Kosmo licked his face.

"Stop it! What're you doing here, boy?"

Kosmo tilted his head and looked at Keith.

"She needs you more than me, buddy."

He patted the dog a few more times and kissed him on the nose.

"Now go on…good night."

Keith switched off his lamp and lay down, gazing at the spot the dog had been just seconds back.

He wondered if Kosmo slept on her bed the way same way he did with Keith. He wondered if he cuddled with her the same way he did with him. He wondered if she felt comforted by Kosmo's presence in the same way he had in the past.


	11. Senfama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor discovers the extent of Kosmo's teleportation abilities in a surprising way. The unexpected incident however, allows her to finally patch things up with another team member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to build friendships and show bonding before getting into the next chapter. So, enjoy!

* * *

Their visit to Senfama had yielded nothing of use. It was an abandoned base.

Keith stood in the cool damp evening breeze. He felt right at home, among the silence of the trees. He had a few more hours before they would leave Senfama and he intended on spending at least some of them in the jungle. As he closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of the forest, he heard a familiar sound. Kosmo.

"Hey, boy. You found me didn't yo….", Keith startled at the sight in front of him.

Clinging to Kosmo, was Noor, in just a shirt and pyjamas.

"Uhh..what just happened?" Her eyes opened wide as she looked around, then at Keith and then at Kosmo. "How did I get here?"

"Umm...Kosmo must have teleported you…."

"Wait, what?" Noor jumped up. "He can...teleport others too?"

"Yep", Keith gave her an awkward grin.

"Oh...I...I will keep that in mind the next time I hug him", Noor froze and took a step away from Kosmo.

An uncomfortable silence followed and Keith bent down to massage Kosmo as Noor looked around at their surroundings. The planet was much more earth like in person than it had seemed from the craft. The trees were way bigger than the ones back home but they were just as green and lush. The air was clean and her senses were overwhelmed by the scent of damp leaves.

"If you want, I can take you back to the ship", Keith stood up and spoke finally. "I mean...I was going to head back anyway. It's only a few minutes away."

"Oh...uhh...yeah", she turned around and followed him.

Noor gathered the courage to break the silence. She was done being nervous around him.

"So…", Noor mumbled, "...what were you doing out here?"

"Umm...just...you know..walking around, enjoying the view."

"It _is_ a beautiful sight", Noor looked around, "reminds me of Earth."

"Yeah, it's one of the few planets we've come across that has Earth-like forests."

"I like it out here", Noor let out a long exhale, "It's quiet."

Keith glanced at her in surprise, both at her words and at her relaxed expression.

"Uhh...yeah, me too."

Noor paused abruptly and turned to her left. She felt a cool sensation pass through her body. She felt drawn to something. She looked through the thicket carefully and took a few steps in that direction.

"What happened? Do you hear something?" Keith readied his dagger.

"No…", Noor turned to look at him. "I think there's a river there."

"How can you tell?"

Noor looked unsure but quickly replied, "I hear flowing water."

"Oh…"

"Do you want to go there?" she asked before Keith could say anything else.

Just then, Keith's comm flickered alive.

"Keith!" It was Shiro.

"Yes, Shiro? I'm here."

"We can't find Noor anywhere!"

"Oh...actually...she's here with me."

"What?!" Pidge and Luten's voices exclaimed over Shiro's.

"Kosmo kinda...teleported her here."

"Is she okay?" Shiro asked.

"Yeah", Keith glanced up at Noor who nodded but looked uncomfortable hearing everyone talk about her as if she wasn't there.

"Are you guys heading back?" Luten asked.

"Yeah, but…", he thought he saw a disappointed look on Noor's face, "...we're a bit far away", Keith lied prompting Noor to look at him in confusion. "It will take us some time to get back."

"That's too much of a risk. We're sending a pod", Shiro sounded concerned.

"That won't be necess…", Keith began but was interrupted by Hunk's voice.

"They'll be fine, Shiro. We've already checked everything. There's no one here. Take your time, Keith!"

With that the comm went silent, but not before they heard Shiro begin to protest.

"So...is that a yes, then?" Noor curled her lips inwards and raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Keith nodded and tilted his head in the direction of the river.

"Lead the way."

* * *

As they emerged on the other side, they gasped in unison at the sight before them. A clear stream flowed by, lined with pebbles and boulders of all colors and sizes.

Noor walked ahead hurriedly until she was standing right by the water's edge. She let her head fall back as she inhaled the wonderful fragrance of the river.

"Wait!" Keith blurted out when saw her take another step forward into the water.

Noor spun around startled and saw Keith rush forward.

"Whh...what?" She instinctively held up her arms.

Keith halted as he remembered how Shiro's sudden physical contact had terrified Noor at the shooting range. He straightened himself and cleared his throat.

"Umm...I mean...it may not be safe."

Noor looked at Keith then at the water and then back at him.

"It's just...water", she narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah...I know...but this is not Earth...water."

"Maybe you're right", she sighed and sat down a few inches from the water.

She propped up her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. She stared into the water, watching the tantalizing reflections jumping about. Keith sat down at a distance as Kosmo sat between them. He watched as the setting sun drenched their surroundings in beautiful hues of red and yellow.

Amidst the gentle murmur of the stream, he thought he heard a soft sigh. He turned and saw Noor gazing at the river with a sad look on her face. He thought of various things he could say to her but none of them made their way to his lips. Kosmo shifted his body and rested his head on Noor's lap. She smiled and ruffled his fur.

"You are lucky to have him", Noor whispered.

"Yeah, I found him in the Quantum Abyss...on the back of a giant cosmic whale actually."

"Woah", she looked up at him in surprise.

"Yeah, we were stuck there for two years…"

"What!" Noor straightened up and was clearly engrossed in what he was saying.

"Well...time moves differently there...so it was two years for us but only a few days for the others."

"That's...there is so much we don't know...wow…", Noor gasped.

"The whale helped us escape the abyss and ever since then, Kosmo has stayed with me."

"He sure seems to know when someone needs him", she muttered.

Keith smiled and shifted closer to the dog to massage him, "yeah, he does."

They sat in silence and this time it felt less awkward.

"Keith…", she began slowly.

"Yeah?"

_Come on, Noor. Now is your chance. Apologize! You literally impaled both his arms. He was only trying to help. So get your shit together and say you're sorry._

"Are you okay?" Keith glanced at her worriedly. "You look...stressed."

"Oh...I…", she let out a deep exhale and looked at him, "actually I wanted to apologize. You know...for…", Noor hesitated and pointed to his arm.

"Oh", the color drained from Keith's face. "No, that's...it's not a big deal."

"Be that as it may", Noor looked at his arms and then back at his face. "I am really sorry I came at you like that. You were only trying to help and I…"

"It's alright. I mean...given the situation..."

"Maybe", Noor shrugged, "Thanks for...finding me too...I guess."

"You don't need to thank me", Keith looked away in embarrassment.

"So I shouldn't thank you for the muffin then?" Noor curled her lips inwards and he could see her expression change into something resembling amusement.

"Oh...I…", he felt his face turn red.

And then Noor's lips erupted into laughter. Loud, genuine, joyful laughter. Seeing her eyes beam and hearing her laugh gurgle like the stream, Keith couldn't help but laugh along. She covered her mouth and leaned back laughing as Kosmo jumped up and started licking her face. Eventually, the laughter subsided and Noor wiped her eyes that had begun watering.

"It's nice to know", she caught her breath and sighed in relief, "that I can still laugh."

Keith felt a warmth spread across his chest as he realized that this was the first time she didn't have discomfort, fear or rage in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Alright", he stood up and dusted himself off, "I think we should get back before Shiro sends out a whole infantry after us."

"Okay", Noor giggled.

* * *

"What took you guys so long!"

"Uhh…", Keith tried to come up with an excuse.

"It was my fault", Noor blurted out, "it was a long walk and I got tired."

"Oh", Shiro calmed down.

"Yeah, but it was worth it", she smiled at Keith and then hurriedly added, "I mean it was nice to get some fresh air."

As she walked out of the lounge, Noor caught Hunk and Pidge grinning at her. She shot them a questioning look and mouthed a _'what?'._

"Looks like it _was_ worth it", Hunk smirked.

Noor shook her head as she passed him by to go to her room. Hunk walked over to Keith.

"I'm glad she's finally bonded with the _entire_ team", he patted Keith's back.

Keith rolled his eyes and picked up the game controller.

"C'mon Pidge, I'm gonna get you this time."

* * *

"What the fuck do you put in this!?"

Hunk and Luten froze and stared at Noor. It was the first time they had heard her curse.

They left Senfama the previous night and they were on their way to a planet neighboring Calum - Ures. It was a day's journey to the planet. Long back, it had been ravaged at the hands of a mad scientist, Maahox.

He wanted to destroy the universe and his creation annihilated the Uresians. If he hadn't been stopped, he would have created multiple black holes and succeeded in zapping the universe out of existence.

Hunk was cooking up a new creation in the kitchen with the help of Luten and Noor. Their taste buds had exploded. And it seemed that Noor, in particular, had been driven to the edges of pleasure, going by the moans and curses that were escaping her mouth.

"Woah, you weren't kidding when you said you were a foodie", Hunk smirked.

As people began showing up in the cafeteria, they set up the table with the scrumptious breakfast. Noor took her usual seat beside Pidge. She began loading up her plate while simultaneously munching on a freshly baked quiche, when she heard a voice behind her.

"Slow down! You're gonna choke", she felt someone sit beside her.

"Oh", she startled and whipped her head around to see a grinning Keith take the seat beside her.

"Yeah, slow down", Hunk chuckled as he walked over and sat beside Pidge.

"It's Hunk's fault", Noor turned back to her plate flushed, "he cooks the most amazing dishes!"

Breakfast chatter oscillated between discussions about the new robots Pidge was working on, updates from the coalition and blades, anecdotes from their paladin days, jokes about Pidge's fanboy Pakim, and so on.

Noor eyed the empty basket of muffins longingly. She sighed and rested her chin on her hand as Bani shared the latest engineering feats of the Olkari with a delighted audience. She rolled her eyes and decided to go for a walk around the craft. As she reached to pick up her plate, she was surprised to see half a muffin placed on it.


	12. Ures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the team inspects another base on the planet Ures, they are caught off guard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright y'all, picking the pace up again! I've tried to revise, revise, revise until the action in the chapter is as exciting as possible. Comments, feedback, and suggestions welcome as always.

* * *

Ures was as dead as a planet could be. As they orbited around, scanning every part of the planet, Pidge suddenly called out.

"Wait, there", she pointed to a section on the map.

"Is that a base?"

"Most likely, yes. The biomarkers I'm detecting are way higher than in Senfama. Looks like they were here as recently as yesterday."

"Could they still be there?" Keith zoomed into the map.

"I'm not sure."

"Let's not take a chance. We'll go in ready to fight", Shiro stood up. "Pidge, do you have everything set up?"

"Yep, got my eyes on everything."

"Suit up", he turned to the team.

"Nope, nothing in here", Hunk's voice sounded over the comm.

"Same here", Keith's disappointed voice replied.

"Alright, let's get out", Shiro commanded.

"Noor", Pidge addressed the girl beside her, "Maybe you should go down there. See if anything sparks your memory."

Noor nodded.

"Shiro, I'm sending Noor down in a pod. Maybe something there will jog her memory."

"Good idea", Hunk agreed.

* * *

Noor stared out the glass as the pod made its way to the base. Her hand kept touching the wrist band, the holster strapped to her waist, the daggers tucked into her thigh slits, and her helmet and mask. She felt silly in the Blade of Marmora suit. She didn't feel like a warrior...yet.

It had been nearly two weeks since her rescue and she still didn't remember anything new. She had dreams filled with things she didn't understand - trees, murky depths, shiny lights, shadowy creatures, howling wolves, a shimmering path. But nothing made sense.

She felt a shiver run down her spine as she walked into the expansive training ground. It had the same layout as the one in Naxzela. She walked over to a giant tub of water on one end of the room, almost triple her height. She placed her hand on the glass and stared into the blue.

Keith watched as she stood still, gazing into the tank. He exchanged a concerned glance with Shiro as she remained still for several seconds. Seconds turned into minutes. And then she jumped back abruptly, a shriek escaping her lips.

"Noor! What is it?" Luten rushed forward.

"I...I saw myself."

"What?"

"I saw myself inside the tank."

"Is that a memory?" Shiro asked.

"I...I'm not sure but I think so. I feel like, at some point, they submerged me in a tank similar to this."

"Monsters", Hunk muttered angrily under his breath.

"Do you remember anything else?" Keith walked up to the tub.

"I passed out before they pulled me back up, I think."

Suddenly, Pidge's voice boomed on their comms.

"Guys! You need to get out of there. Now!"

"What's going on, Pidge?" Keith asked as they all began running out.

Noor's hand rested on the gun as she ran behind him. She drew comfort as she felt its presence.

"They're here", was all Pidge could say before they heard the rumbling.

* * *

When they emerged from the base, they saw a wormhole crackle above their heads and an enormous ship emerged from it. A hatch at the bottom of the ship opened and a figure stepped out on the ledge.

"I can't hack into their system" Pidge replied in frustration, "I...I don't recognize the signal patterns or biorhythms."

"Hunk, get Noor to the craft", Shiro ordered.

"On it", Hunk yelled as he grabbed Noor's arm, "and we really need a name for our craft!"

"Yeah, we'll get on that right after we deal with this", Keith grunted as he ran towards the four mercenaries that jumped out of the ship.

"Shields!" Shiro yelled.

They spread out to avoid being easy targets and readied their weapons. Shots were fired and within seconds they were surrounded by loud flashes and deafening beams of energy. They ducked, evaded, advanced and attacked. The mercenaries were in black suits with partially covered faces. Just like the ones they had encountered on Naxzela, they were all of different races too.

Keith ran towards one of them and slid down, kicking his legs and breaking his stance. As he landed on the ground, Keith kicked him square in the jaw. He stood over him and with one clean shot, sent a burning beam straight through his chest. To his surprise, a shiny cloud emanated from its dying body and disappeared into thin air.

"Watch out!" Shiro yelled and Keith turned around just in time as another one appeared behind him and took aim. Keith barely managed to dodge the shot as he jumped behind a boulder.

Shiro shot endlessly at the third mercenary as Luten tackled the fourth. They were fully engaged in the fight when they heard Hunk's voice boom over all the noise.

"I'm under heavy fire, guys!"

Keith tried to peek over the boulder but sunk back down as his attacker continued shooting.

"What is going on, Hunk?" he yelled into his comm.

"There are two more of these guys, and they're between us and the pod."

"I'm coming", Luten responded as he spun around evading his attacker's punch and ran towards Hunk.

Luten took aim at the one closest to Noor, but before he could shoot, he felt a sharp pain as a shot was fired from behind him. He clutched his arm and yelled. His vision darkened and he fell to the ground in pain. Some distance away, Shiro managed to overpower the mercenary attacking him with an immobilizer. He raced ahead firing at the soldiers around Hunk and Noor to divert their attention.

"Keith, where are you!?" Shiro yelled.

"I'm coming!"

Keith growled and pulled out his blade. He emerged from the boulder and jumped at the creature shooting at him, as his weapon transformed into a sword. He took advantage of the mercenary's astonishment and lunged at him, swiping at his chest. As his sword made contact, the mercenary dropped his weapon with a howl. Keith took a final stab at him and just like the previous one, a shadowy mist escaped the body.

* * *

As Noor hid behind her shield, she pulled out her gun and began firing at the creatures but missed every single time. She groaned in frustration. Shiro and Hunk kept shooting and managed to force the two mercenaries further away, allowing Hunk and Noor to advance towards the pod. And then, out of nowhere, she felt a burn sear through her calf. She screamed in pain as she fell forward.

"Noor!" Hunk yelled as he glanced back to see what had happened.

"I'm alright", she groaned, "they got my leg, but I'm fine."

She took in a deep inhale and stood up wincing at the stinging sensation. Hunk swooped around and supported her with one arm and took aim at the creature that had shot her. She watched in awe as Hunk's weapon glowed and transformed into a chaingun. Hunk screamed and unleashed a volley of powerful shots at the men. This time, his shot met the target. The creature was thrown back in the air and lay motionless on the ground.

"Are those fumes rising from its body?" Noor gasped.

"No time for that", Hunk muttered to her.

"I'm gonna make a dash for the pod!" Hunk announced over his comm. "Noor is shot!"

"What!?" Keith's voice blared. "Get her out of here!"

Keith tackled the man looming over Luten and shot him straight in the head before he could fire a fatal blow at Luten. He dodged the misty vapors that rose up from the body and bent over a half unconscious Luten, shaking him vigorously.

"Get up, Luten! We need you!"

Luten groaned and clutched his bleeding arm.

"We need to go to their ship", Keith commanded.

Luten nodded groggily and grabbed his gun. They made their way to the open hatch where the figure stood, surveying the ongoing chaos. Keith glanced back and saw, much to his relief, as Shiro finally took down the last mercenary and Hunk and Noor jumped into the pod.

"Pidge, we need cover!" Shiro yelled as he ran to join Keith and Luten.

"On it", Pidge screamed, blasting powerful shots from the craft.

A protective screen spread around the ship, blocking every beam she threw at it.

"I can't get through their shield", Pidge groaned, "you guys need to get closer."

Pidge sent three pods down and Shiro, Keith and Luten leapt into them. They approached the hatch from all sides, searching for a weak spot.

* * *

"What's that", Luten gasped.

Shiro and Keith watched as a small object emerged from below the ship and transformed into a cube.

"That's...that looks like Olkarion tech", Keith exclaimed. "How is that possible?"

"Black market...anything could have gotten into anyone's hand in the post war chaos", Shiro grunted in frustration.

Before they could take another shot, a red beam emanated from the cube and spread wide, enclosing all three pods.

"None of my controls are working!" Luten exclaimed.

"I can't move either!" Keith grew frustrated.

"Pidge! Do you copy? Can you take the cube out?" Shiro called out.

Silence.

"We can't send or receive signals outside the span of this beam...", Shiro yelled.

Noor, Hunk and Pidge watched in horror from their craft as all three pods were frozen mid-air at the mercy of the ship.

"We need to do something, I can't communicate with them", Pidge began running to the back. "Get to your pod, Hunk!"

The two scrambled into their pods and flew down to either side of the cube and began shooting at it.

"Nothing is going through", Pidge ranted.

Before she knew it, her pod was sucked into the beam too.

"Pidge!" Hunk yelled.

He saw the beam coming for him and evaded it for several minutes but soon he too was dragged in.

"What do we do, Shiro?" Keith called out over the comm.

"It's getting hot in here", Luten groaned.

"We need to figure out a way to weaken the beam otherwise we are going to burn to a crisp."

* * *

Bani and Noor gasped as a voice hissed and crackled over the craft's comm.

"If you want to save your friends...all you have to do is turn yourself over."

Noor's heart raced. She looked out at the five pods. The beam held them in its clutches and its intensity seemed to increase with every second. She could see the pods heat up as sparks lit around their outer shells.

"Bani", she made up her mind, "do we have any sort of trackers that others won't be able to detect easily?"

"Umm...", Bani ran over to a panel, searching, racking her brain. "Yes!"

She retrieved a small bottle and syringe. Noor flinched as she began prepping her arm.

"Don't worry, this won't hurt. I'll be able to track you several galaxies away and for up to a week."

Noor shut her eyes as she was injected yet again. She took comfort in the fact that at least this time, she was conscious, she knew what it was, she knew who was doing it, and why it was being done.

"You have only a few more ticks, human", the voice boomed once more.

"Tell him, I'm coming."


	13. For the mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor watches the battle unfold and is brought to a crossroad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of the incidents in the previous chapter.

* * *

"What's that? I see another pod coming from our craft", Pidge called out over the comm.

"Is it….", Luten began.

"It's Noor!" Shiro announced..

"What the hell is she doing!?" Keith yelled.

"Guys...I think...she's heading straight for their ship", Hunk began panicking.

"Oh no…", Pidge gasped.

"What? What!"

"She's turning herself over", tears were beginning to stream down her face.

"We're the hostages", Shiro's voice lowered.

"No!" Keith growled. "We need to fight this thing!"

"There's nothing we can do...we're stuck in this beam and we're going to burn alive", Luten groaned.

"Shiro", Pidge suddenly exclaimed, "...your arm!"

"What?"

"Your prosthetic. It's flame resistant! And it interfaces with your neural signals. You can control it from inside your pod!"

"Oh", Shiro began to follow. "I can try."

His pod opened long enough for his prosthetic arm to fly heard Shiro scream in pain as he was exposed to the beam for a split second.

"It's working!", Shiro yelled. "I'm going to try and take it out."

"Hurry, her pod is hovering near the ledge", Hunk roared.

* * *

"Let them go!" Noor screamed into her comm, facing the creature.

"You must turn yourself over first", the hissing voice echoed inside the pod.

"I don't trust you."

"You have no other choice."

Noor's mind raced. Her eyes darted from the creature to her team. Their pods were glowing. Any moment now, they would burst into flames. Just like the base that had held her fellow prisoners.

_No! I'm not letting anyone else die._

She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hand gripped the twin daggers tucked into the thigh slit in her suit.

"Fine", she spat out.

* * *

"WHAT IS SHE DOING?" Keith screamed as he saw Noor's pod move into the hatch and land.

"Shiro, what's taking so long!" Pidge yelled in panic.

"I'm trying!"

"Just break it, whatever it is, punch it!" Hunk responded.

They waited with bated breath. A few seconds later, a shattering sound filled the air and the beam disappeared.

"It worked!" Pidge exclaimed, "...oh no...I can't...I have no control over my pod...everything is fried…"

"Me too!" Hunk grunted.

"I'm going down as well!" Luten's voice crackled over the comm.

Shiro watched the three pods free fall to the ground as three bodies ejected from them and thrust backwards to safety.

"Keith, is your…", but before Shiro could finish his sentence, he saw Keith's pod make its way to the enemy ship.

"They're not getting away", Keith whispered.

"I'm right behind you", Shiro sped forward.

* * *

Noor stepped out of her pod and onto the ledge. She covered her mouth and jumped at the sight of the creature. It seemed like an ugly hybrid of a human and reptile with long twisted horns and a scaly tail. The features on its face were distorted and its skin was covered in warts and crevices.

"Don't be afraid", it hissed.

"Let them go", Noor steadied herself and glared at him defiantly.

"That won't be possible, you see. If I let them go, they'll just keep coming back for you."

"You WILL let them go", Noor yelled as she pulled out her daggers.

"Are you really going to try and fight me", it smiled in amusement.

"No", Noor whispered and held both daggers against her neck.

"What are you doi…", it hissed.

"If you don't let them go, I will kill myself. And you will lose the only viable candidate for your...experiment."

It began advancing towards her.

"STOP RIGHT THERE", she pressed the daggers harder against her neck. "I WILL DO IT."

"Wait!"

"Then let them go or…."

Before Noor could finish her sentence, they heard a loud shattering sound and they both watched in astonishment as the powerful beam suddenly vanished.

"What is...how did they…", it growled.

Noor's relief quickly turned to horror as she saw three pods crash to the ground. The other two pods made their way to her. The creature took advantage of her momentary distraction and gripped her violently, dropping the daggers out of her hands, and twisting her arms behind her back.

She struggled and kicked about, trying to break free only to be held tighter. She felt the creature stiffen and followed its gaze to the two pods that had reached the ledge and were now hovering in front of them. She heard Keith's menacing voice erupt from the pod.

"Let her go!"

The creature backed away from the ledge, pulling her with him. Another mercenary showed up and grabbed her, holding a gun to her head. Keith's eyes widened in alarm as he realized that his pod's weapon system was down. He ejected himself from the pod and thrusted himself closer to the ledge, pulling out his sword. Shiro tried to activate his pod's offense but nothing responded. He groaned and leapt out of his pod as well.

Keith cocked his gun and tried shooting at the creature but once again, the defense shield deflected the shots. He pulled out his dual swords and charged towards the ledge. Noor saw the mercenary point his gun towards Keith and screamed out loud.

"Keith, get back! Shiro! You need to turn back!"

As the mercenary fired a blazing orange beam, Shiro lunged ahead and raised his shield in front of Keith just in time. At the same time, the ship began firing at the craft.

"Keith", Shiro commanded, "fall back!"

"What? No!" Keith yelled in surprise.

"None of our attacks are getting through. We can't win this fight."

"Keith? Shiro? Can you hear me?" Pidge's voice crackled into their ears. "You need to halt your attacks. Let them go."

"What are you guys saying!" Keith roared in anger. "THEY WILL TAKE HER."

"Listen to me, Keith", Bani interjected. "Noor knows…"

"NO. We can't give up!"

He darted and approached the ledge from another angle. He saw the gun target him once more and as the mercenary prepared to pull the trigger, Noor hit him with her elbow, catching him off guard. Before the soldier could recover, she grabbed her daggers and ran forward towards Keith but was caught by the creature. It grabbed her by the hair and brought her down on her knees.

"NOOR!" Shiro lunged forward.

She heard the creature command the mercenary, "Finish them."

"NO! STOP! Listen to me", Noor managed to yell. "THEY WON'T KILL ME. You NEED to go back. PLEASE."

"She's right, Keith", Pidge's voice began to break, "Bani gave her...she knows…fall back..."

"Listen to her", Shiro yanked Keith back by the arm. "LISTEN to Noor!"

"Shiro! No", Keith looked at Noor and then at Shiro in disbelief.

Noor watched as Shiro grabbed Keith and pulled him back. She sobbed in relief and tried to smile encouragingly at them.

"Trust me", she called out, hoping they would hear her.

Shiro watched helplessly as the girl, now on her knees, smiled at them. He saw no trace of fear or panic. Just relief. He fought the urge to rush forward and grab her from the creature's grip. There must be a reason Pidge and Bani were asking them to fall back. And he decided to put his trust in them.

Keith struggled but Shiro wouldn't let go. He saw Noor burst into sobs as he was pulled away. He thought she said ' _trust me'_ but his mind was racing and everything was echoing inside him. Before he could make sense of anything, the hatch closed and the creature disappeared behind it, with Noor on her knees.


	14. The wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moments before the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So excited for the stuff this chapter is leading up to in the next one! Sprinkling some clues in the chapter and its description.

* * *

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU GUYS?"

Keith stormed into the control room, his voice seething with anger.

"Keith, calm down", Hunk walked towards him.

"No, I will not", Keith growled as he threw his sword down. "How can you give up on her like that!?"

"No one is giving up on her, Keith!" Pidge jumped out of her seat and stormed towards him just as angrily. "You're not the only one worried about her!"

"Keith", Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder, "Let's hear what they have to say. There must be a reason they asked us to fall back."

"Yes, there is", Bani stood up and faced them.

Everyone turned their attention to the Olkari woman. Keith groaned and sat down, running his hand through his sweaty hair.

"When you were caught in the beam, they asked Noor to turn herself over if she wanted to save you. It was Noor's decision..."

As Keith began to protest, she shot him a glare and raised a hand up to silence him.

"Let me finish", she spoke sternly, "...it was Noor's decision to let herself be captured. But we had a plan. I injected her with a bio-tracker."

"Noor knew she had no other option at the time", Pidge continued, "but she went in prepared. We can track her and hunt them down."

"What if they find the tracker?" Keith tried to moderate his tone.

"They most likely won't be able to do that. It's a new protein based biomarker developed by us."

"It's so cool!" Pidge nearly shrieked. "The serum carries a virus based plasmid vector that contains the code for producing extra promoter proteins in her body and is programmed to overexpress predetermined proteins. This leads to the amplification of specific biorhythms in her that only Bani's receiver is calibrated to detect. The effect can be sustained for up to a week and and allows for tracking over longer distances...and THAT is what we are doing right now."

"You inserted a virus inside her!?" Luten jumped up in horror.

"No, you imbecile", Bani's temper flared up, "the serum is carried within a virus shell."

"Oh…", Luten sat back down taken aback by her snarl.

"It's not how we wanted to go about this", Pidge sighed and looked at where the terrorist's craft had been just minutes ago, "but it's all we have to go on right now. She did what she thought was best for the mission."

"She's a smart girl", Shiro exhaled and sat down.

"She's a brave girl", Hunk stated.

* * *

Noor rested her forehead on her arms, propping her knees up. She drew in deep breaths in an attempt to calm her thudding heart.

She reminded herself over and over again that they would find her. That she had a tracker inside her. That Bani and Pidge were the smartest people she knew. That Luten and Shiro would fight their way to her. That Hunk would make sure nothing happened to her. That Keith would never give up on her.

She found a strange peace in the fact that she had been the creature's prisoner before. She had been trapped by him before. She had been through all this before. She knew the pain that was about to descend on her. She knew the needles and tubes and straps that would violate her.

Now, she also knew the face of the creature that had captured her. She knew what the ship looked like. She knew what its voice sounded like. She knew more now than she had when she was first abducted.

And somehow, knowing things, made all this a little easier.

* * *

Every now and then, Kosmo would whine softly and howl as if calling out to Noor.

"It's alright boy", Keith whispered to the dog slowly massaging his back, "we're going to get her."

"What's our next step?" Shiro turned to Pidge and Bani.

"The tracker...", Bani clasped her hand over a green sphere and a holographic projection of glowing stars and planets and galaxies surrounded them, "...boosts her signature at intervals. Our receiver pings each time it detects the markers and we can see them...", she rotated the sphere causing the holograph to move too, "as they travel through space."

"What if they cloak the ship?" Luten asked.

"I'm not sure", Bani hesitated, "This is new tech...it hasn't been tested in the field..."

"I may be able to help with that", Pidge interrupted, "...I wasn't able to hack into their system but I _was_ able to get a weak signature from the ship's energy source. If we are quick, we can follow it like a trail. Even if it is cloaked."

"We need to get going then", Keith muttered.

* * *

Noor looked up when the door swung open. The creature walked in flanked by two guards. Noor braced herself for what happened each time they had come to get her from her prison cell in the past. But this time was different. The guards stayed by the door and the creature knelt in front of her. She didn't flinch or look away. She stared at it defiantly, determined to show no fear.

"It's good to have you back", it leaned in closer and grazed her cheek with the back of its hand.

"Who are you?" Noor pulled her face away.

"You'll know soon enough. We're going to achieve great things together."

"What did you do to me?"

"I gave you a new destiny. Now, you can join me and do something more than just living alone in mourning and misery. You hold something special inside of you now."

"What's inside me?"

"A power that was snatched away from the human race thousands of years ago. A power that the Alteans and Galra could only scratch the surface of and even then, they couldn't understand it, let alone control it. But once we finish the fusion, we can take out all the threats to humanity once and for all."

"So you _are_ human."

"Yes", it sighed and she thought she saw pain in its eyes. She decided to take advantage of this brief moment of vulnerability.

"What happened to you?"

"I failed. I couldn't hold the power. But you...somehow you can. This time, I may just succeed."

"So what's next? What is the rest of the...experiment?"

"You'll see for yourself, tomorrow morning", it stood up and left.

" _Tomorrow morning"_ , Noor whispered to herself as the door closed once again.

She placed her hand on the now empty thigh slit. They had searched her and taken away the twin daggers but they didn't take away the two pins that were safely hidden in her hair. During her training sessions with Luten and Shiro, she had learnt how to interact with the daggers.

It had blown her mind the things the Olkari technology was capable of. She could command the daggers to come to her, to move to the desired target, to transform from twin daggers to bagh nakhs to double sided daggers all at the instruction of her mind. Using the weapon had felt natural, almost like they were an extension of her. It felt just like dancing. She hadn't managed to make the connection which would metamorphose the double sided dagger to a double sided sword. Until then, she would just have to make do with them as they were.

She hoped that she would have enough presence of mind to use the combat moves Luten had taught her. She _had_ managed to catch him off guard a few times. She chuckled at the memory. For now, she would have to convince the creature that she sympathised with it and that she was no threat. It wouldn't be that hard. Compared to the others, she probably didn't pose any real threat to these guards. But if it came down to it, she would give it her all.

* * *

As everyone turned in for the night, Keith sat in the control room and continued watching the trail. Kosmo sat by his side and nuzzled against him.

"Keith! You scared me", Pidge walked in and startled on seeing him.

"What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep", she sat beside Kosmo and sighed, "Just wanted to see how...she's doing."

They turned around as the door opened once again and Hunk entered the room.

"Guess none of us can sleep, huh?" he sat by Keith and patted his back.

"Why haven't they landed anywhere yet?" Keith frowned at the map.

"My guess is they're going to try and get away to as remote a location as possible", Pidge leaned back, "Far away from Sepi."

"Don't we only have a week before the tracker…", Hunk began but paused.

"They won't wait that long", Pidge said with confidence. "Whatever they want to do to her, they'll want to do it soon."

"Oh…", a surprised voice exclaimed behind them, "...I didn't realize you...", Luten mumbled.

"Come on over", Hunk chuckled. "Welcome to the I-can't-sleep-club."

Luten grinned sheepishly and sat beside Pidge.

"So, we're sure they don't know we're following them?"

"Please", Pidge grinned and adjusted her glasses, "my cloaking mechanism is foolproof. Coupled with Olkarion technology...as far as anyone else is concerned, we don't exist."

"You think she's alright?" Hunk muttered.

"She can take care of herself", Luten added.

"What do you mean?" Keith finally spoke.

"We've been training regularly. She knows only a few moves but she knows them _well_ ", Luten chuckled. "She nearly knocked me out."

"She has the twin daggers too", Hunk leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands.

"And I saw her do some damage when she elbowed the mercenary who was going to shoot at us", another voice added.

Everyone jumped as Shiro walked over.

"If it comes to it", he continued, "she'll defend herself...long enough for us to get in there and get her...and the creature."

* * *

Noor hadn't slept. She didn't know how much time had passed since they left Ures. She only realized it was morning when the creature returned to her room.

"Come", the creature held out its hand.

Noor resisted the urge to smack the scaly hand away.

_Be smart about this. You need to survive._

She pushed back her disgust and took its hand. She followed the creature into a pod along with two guards. As they made their way down, Noor gazed at the vast barren desert planet that lay before them. When they alighted from the pod, she saw the same buildings just like every other base. If there were any other prisoners there, she couldn't see or hear them.

They hadn't tied her up or covered her eyes this time. She was treated with something like respect. It was almost as if they were being cautious around her. She followed the creature into a large room, similar to the training grounds in the other bases, but this room didn't have a tub of water.

"Tell me", the creature spoke finally as the door closed behind them, "how have you been feeling?"

Noor didn't respond. She eyed it warily.

"Have you felt anything different?" It turned to face her.

"No."

"Nothing?" It circled her.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Have you had any visions?"

Noor froze at the words. Her mind went over all the strange dreams she had been having. Lush trees surrounded by glowing water. A shimmering path in a cosmic void. Shadowy creatures that always seemed just out of her reach. She wondered if the creature would be able to tell her what they meant. But she decided to be prudent.

"I have had disturbing dreams but I never remember them in the morning."

"Hmm", it frowned and paused behind her and she could feel its eyes on her.

"Have you felt a surge of power rise in your body at sunrise or moonrise?"

"What does that even mean?" Noor turned around and looked at it in confusion.

"Hmm", its frown grew, "so you haven't unlocked it."

"Unlocked what?!"

"You must connect with your spirit. Reach deep inside and bridge the gap."


	15. A storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The creature's next move is not what Noor expected. Neither is what ensues when the team's attempt to seize it and rescue her fails.

* * *

"Look", Pidge pointed. "The ship has stopped."

Bani watched as the pings blinked at the same location again and again.

"Everyone, get here now", Bani spoke over the comm, "they have landed on a planet."

Hurried footsteps approached the control room.

"Where are they?" Shiro spoke as the others followed him in.

"Sepi", Bani replied.

"How long will it take to get there?"

"One hour."

"That's not soon enough", Keith frowned.

"Bani, is that the best you can do?"

"If I channel more power from the cubes to the craft using myself as a channel, I think...I think we can make it in 30 minutes. I've never done it before, but I can try", she walked around hastily, preparing the controls and getting herself in place.

"Pidge, get your pod ready", Shiro began, "We need your eyes on everything but be ready to fight. Remain cloaked."

"Hunk, Keith...head to their ship and find out whatever you can about these terrorists. If possible, secure it."

"I want to go to the base with you", Keith replied.

"We don't know what to expect on the ship. I need _you_ to lead the attack there. Luten and me can handle the base. We're going to get them, Keith", Shiro placed his hand on Keith's shoulder and nodded reassuringly.

"We really need a name for this ship", Hunk muttered, "It was so much easier when we had names - like the Castleship, Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Voltron...you know? How about Olkaride? Like Olkarion ride. Or Olkaship?"

"Olkaship works for me", Pidge nodded.

Keith rolled his eyes and walked towards their pod with Hunk.

* * *

"Follow my lead", the creature sat down.

Noor eyed it warily and hesitated. It bothered her that this was all new. Instead of the familiar lab and equipment and tubes and needles that she had expected and mentally prepared herself for, this was just an empty space.

_What could it possibly to do to me here._

She took a deep breath and shook off the encroaching fear. Slowly, she made her way to him and sat across from him.

"This won't hurt", he smiled at her as if reading her mind. "Just be patient and breathe."

"I know you are not telling me everything about your dreams", it said after several seconds of simply staring at her.

Noor maintained a neutral expression and remained silent.

"Whatever they are", it continued, "they are more than just dreams...they are visions, you must meditate on them. Listen...to your body, to your heart, to your soul."

"Why are we talking about all this spiritual stuff?" Noor frowned.

"Back on earth, I spent a lot of time meditating, reading ancient philosophies, and pondering over the human subconscious."

"You want me to meditate?"

"Yes."

"I have never been good at that", she rolled her eyes.

She couldn't believe the conversation she was having.

_What kind of an experiment is this!?_

"You don't get it. It's not a _thing_ that you can be good or bad at. It's just a matter of looking inside and connecting with yourself. You hold a power I wasn't able to. You must tap into it."

"So you kidnapped us, tortured us, experimented on me...all to get me to join a cult?" Noor groaned in frustration.

The creature chuckled and shook its head.

"Your thoughts limit you. You need to open your mind. To the powers that are within your reach."

As it said these words, the creature retrieved two small vials from its robe. It stared at them, enchanted, and then placed them back inside. It took a deep breath and looked at her, hopeful and determined.

"Let me lead...guide you through this."

"I can't trust you."

"Maybe not."

Noor's eyes darted around the room. The guards had stayed outside. She had no idea what was going on, where her team was, and what the creature was about to do. She decided to stay put. And wait. She didn't what she waiting for. But she knew she would know it when it occurred. At least that's what she hoped would happen.

"Fine", she muttered and closed her eyes.

"Focus on the sound of my voice, and clear your mind."

They sat in silence. Every now and then, Noor would see flashes and glimpses of her dreams and she flinched.

"You see them again, don't you? Hold on to it. Focus."

Noor saw herself. She was a child once again. She could see her father growling at her as he approached her. She cowered in fear and felt her entire body tremble.

"Let it play out."

"I can't!"

"You can."

His voice forced her to stay in the vision. Something in her was drawn further into it. She went from seeing it to reliving it. She felt the hands grab at her, grope her, violate her. She felt the rough touch as he probed her body greedily. She heard the screams of her mother as she lunged forward and struck her father. She whimpered in fear as he fought back.

She went numb as she saw him send her reeling back. She saw her mother hit her head against the table corner and fall to the ground bleeding. She saw her lift her hand and with one final breath, pull the trigger on him. She cried in horror as her entire life changed in the blink of an eye. Both her parents lay in front of her, dead.

"Accept what happened to you", the gentle voice echoed all around .

Her shallow breaths made her shiver and convulse. For what seemed like forever, she felt like she was about to explode in panic.

"Let it go. Let the river carry you forward."

Eventually, Noor felt herself flow along but soon, she was dropping down an endless waterfall. When she finally reached the bottom, she hit hard ground and broke through it. Explosions and blinding beams surrounded her as she felt herself being crushed by rocks and rubble.

She looked around in fear and confusion and saw a familiar face. Her father. The only father who deserved to be called that. The one who brought her into his life and gave her a safe space and another loving mother. Who she had learnt to call home. Who she had grown to accept as family. The generous souls who had given her a second chance at a happy life.

Suddenly, she recognized where she was. It was the Galran attack. The purple light piercing her city, her home, her family. She yelled and begged the invisible almighty, that she had never believed in, to make it stop.

"Don't fear what is about to happen", the voice guided her.

"I have no control!"

"And that's okay", it soothed her.

She saw her parents get hit and burn in front of her eyes. She struggled to free herself and crawl to them. She wanted to touch them, hold them, kiss them one last time. She wanted to say goodbye. She wanted to die by their side.

"Hold on. Hold on to your life."

"I don't want to."

"You survived. Accept that you were the one who lived. Reach into yourself and connect once more with your life force. Don't distance yourself from your soul, from your spirit. You need to find your way back to your essence. And stop hiding in your misery. Don't hide from everything that made you who you are."

Noor felt hot tears gushing out, staining her cheeks, her face, her neck...all the way down to her chest.

* * *

"Bani", Shiro whispered into the comm, "we've neutralized the three mercenaries posted outside. What's the status inside?"

"There are only two guards inside and they are stationed outside a room. That's where Noor is", Bani replied.

"Are you ready?" Shiro turned to Luten.

Luten nodded.

"We're going in."

They moved ahead cautiously, heading straight for the room Bani directed them to. They didn't encounter any guards just as she had said.

"When you turn right, you'll see the two guards."

"Got it. Luten...let's get them with one clean shot."

Shiro and Luten prepared themselves and with a nod, they rounded the corner. With quick clean shots, the two guards collapsed to the ground.

"That was...easy", Luten mumbled as they ran ahead towards the room the mercenaries had been guarding.

Luten stepped aside and Shiro kicked the door down.

* * *

Noor thought she heard a thud outside the door. Her heartbeat spiked. She hoped that the creature hadn't noticed anything.

"I can feel something", she lied in an attempt to keep it engaged.

"Good. Dig deeper. What do you see?"

"I...I…", she racked her brain for the right thing to say, "I can see blue!"

"Good! Follow it. Don't hold back. Let go of any illusion of control."

"I'm falling through it. It's never-ending."

"Don't stop", she could feel its voice growing excited. "It will be alright."

Gathering all her courage, she slowly moved her hand to her head and clicked the pins to life. She focussed all her energy into commanding the daggers. She had never tried to connect with them over a long distance before. She didn't even know if they could get to her in a closed room, behind walls and doors. But she had to try.

"Yes", she whispered breathlessly, "it _will_ be alright."

Just then, the door came crashing down. Noor's eyes flew open and before she could react, three things happened. Shiro and Luten charged in. The creature sprung into action. And two objects whizzed through the air in her direction.

Noor jumped up and before she knew what she was doing, she directed the daggers towards the creature as it lunged at her with a growl. She spun around and saw the daggers slash at his chest. The creature winced and fell forward and sent her toppling back under its weight. She grabbed the daggers and thrust them into its chest and felt them pierce through its skin as they struggled on the ground.

"Noor!" Luten called as he advanced towards her.

Noor pushed the creature aside and scrambled to her feet. She stepped back and watched Shiro and Luten run forward. She saw the creature close its eyes and move his arms in a swirl as if waving a wand around seconds before Shiro and Luten pounced on it.

Shiro was about to shoot it with his immobilizer when they heard footsteps. Many of them. Countless guards swarmed into the room and began firing. Luten grabbed Noor and shielded them from the onslaught.

"Keith, where are you?" Shiro took a shot at the creature and pulled up his shield. "We need back up!"

No one responded.

"Keith!? Hunk? Pidge?", Shiro repeated as he and Luten tried shooting at the rapidly advancing mercenaries.

"I can't get through to anyone either", Luten grunted as he pulled back trying his best to shoot the guards closest to them. "Where the hell did they come from?"

"I don't know! We didn't see any…", before Shiro could finish, he dropped to his knees when a shot hit his leg.

"Shiro!" Noor called out.

She saw a guard leap forward and knock Shiro out with a powerful blow to his face. Before long, they were ambushed as well and more guards grabbed them and helped the creature. They struggled but to no avail. There seemed to be at least ten guards much to Noor's bewilderment. She hadn't seen so many of them on the ship or at the base.

As they were dragged out of the building, Noor froze when she saw Hunk, Keith and Pidge on their knees, surrounded by yet more mercenaries. The soldiers threw Luten and an unconscious Shiro on the ground near the rest of the team. They yanked Noor away from the group and she was brought to the creature, who was severely injured but conscious enough to grunt and slap her across her face in fury.

"You fool! Why do you fight your destiny!?"

Noor felt blood filling her mouth and she spat out at it. The creature took in a deep breath and regained its composure. It turned to the guards and with a calm almost serene voice, spoke.

"Finish them."

He wrenched Noor away by her neck and walked towards the ship. Noor sputtered and choked as she tried to free herself. She shook her head helplessly as she saw a mercenary walk up to Pidge and place his gun on the terrified girl's forehead. She could feel a rage rising up inside her. Images of the dead bodies of all her parents made her blood boil. And then everything went white.

* * *

Keith saw Noor's eyes shut tight. He thought her body was giving up as the creature strangled her . But then, she screeched. The creature fell back in shock and everyone was terrified to their bones. It was a scream of intense ferocity and pain. She stopped squirming, her body straightened, her head dropped and her hands rose up to her sides as if she was plucking something out of thin air.

They heard a rumbling. Tremors. As if the planet itself was shaking in fear. Everyone looked around, confused and bewildered. The mercenary stepped away from Pidge, unsure of what was happening. They fell and stumbled as the quakes grew stronger.

Suddenly, Noor threw her head back and lifted her arms over her head with another bloodcurdling scream and all around them, through the pores of the desert land, hundreds of fountains of water shot up. Powerful gushing spouts that tore through the barren ground and flew up in a rage that matched hers. She circled her arms above her head and the water formed a gigantic ring that loomed over their heads.

Before the creature could move, Noor threw one hand down towards it and like lightning, a stream of water came hurtling down, immediately freezing to ice and encasing the creature from head to tail. She thrust the arm forward and another stream of water raced ahead, turning into icy spikes that flew straight at the mercenary who had held Pidge at gunpoint and impaled him.

She threw both hands forward with a snarl. As if on command, the entire ring of water rushed down. More spikes flew in all directions and pierced all the guards who were retreating in terror, trying to shield themselves from the chaotic ice storm that was brewing around them.

Noor took in a long inhale, closed her eyes and her right foot slid back as she lifted her arms once more. Her entire body trembled and tears continued to cascade down her face. The never ending water that was still erupting from the ground, turned into an enormous terrifying wave that towered over everyone menacingly.

She leaned forward with all her might and pushed her hands forward as if shoving an invisible object. Much to everyone's horror, the wave propelled forward and came crashing down on them. It turned to ice just as it made contact with them, trapping everyone inside. Frozen.

With a deep exhale, Noor dropped her hands and with one fluid motion, the ice that held her friends turned to water, one by one, releasing them from their icy prison. They stood up unsure and looked all around them at the mortifying landscape that was filled with jagged ice statues. In a matter of seconds, she had decimated everyone and everything.

Noor's eyes flung open and she clutched her chest, sucking in air in lumpy choking breaths. She looked around her and gasped as she saw ice everywhere. The entire planet's surface, as far as she could see, was covered in a white blanket. She spun around and saw the creature trapped inside an icebox. She stared in horror as she saw her friends, their eyes filled with fear.

She could feel a storm inside her head. She covered her ears to stop the chaotic barrage of noise and buzzing electricity that lashed at her. She winced in pain as she felt something rise and fall within her, threatening to overtake her and throw her out of her own body. She sensed something fighting her from within.

She felt the outside world recede from her as she fell into a dark abyss. Through the incessant torrent of sounds and flashes she could hear something reach out. She couldn't make out what it was. She thought she heard a voice, she thought she heard her name, she thought her body was shaking in rapture.

"Noor…..Nooor!"

She felt something shake her violently. She inhaled sharply and her eyes jerked open in shock.

"Noor! Look at me! It's okay….you're okay…."

Noor's eyes focussed on the source of the sound. She saw a face materialize. She focussed harder.

"It's me...Keith!"

Suddenly, it felt like her floundering soul got sucked back into place and all the chaos within scurried into a deep void within her. She could feel herself being grounded in reality once more.

"Keith?"

"Yes...it's me...", Keith repeated again and again trying to snap Noor out of her state of panic.

"Keith!" Noor's voice exclaimed.

With a start, she looked around remembering where she was. Her eyes searched frantically for Pidge and she ran towards the shaking girl. She pulled her into her arms and embraced her with all her might.

"Pidge! Are you alright?"

She pulled back and looked at the stunned girl.

"I thought...I saw him shoot you...I thought you were…"

"I'm fine", Pidge mumbled and gripped her arms. There was a worried look in her eyes even though she smiled at her reassuringly, "You saved me, Noor. You saved all of us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go!
> 
> Hopefully everyone follows along and enjoys the ride. I promise it gets better and I make a solemn vow that I WILL justify things as we move forward. I, personally, always need logic behind the 'magic'. I need even the most science-fictiony and fantastical things to be grounded in some sort of reality.
> 
> I have worked really hard and done my homework on both worlds and am really excited to continue the story revealing more pieces one by one until everything falls into its rightful place!


	16. Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is still recovering from the events that unfolded on Sepi. They try to put all the pieces together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're one third of the way into the story! Needed a few days before posting the next chapter because I was revising the next few chapters and making sure I have everything in place several chapters ahead. 
> 
> With every chapter, I am going to let more pieces fall into place. As I promised before, I will justify the cross over and explain as logically as possible how the two worlds meet.
> 
> Lastly, I have not received any new comments in a while so am just hoping that people are enjoying and are able to follow what's going on! * crosses fingers and smiles nervously *

* * *

"I...I did?"

"Yes", Hunk stepped up and held the visibly weakened girl. "You saved us...ohh..."

Hunk stopped and looked at her face bewildered.

"What?" Noor grew scared and looked around at everyone.

Their faces were a mix of concern, confusion, caution, and something else that made her feel uncomfortable under their gaze.

"Ohh...umm...your eyes…", Hunk mumbled. "I...I thought they were brown."

Noor felt her face and looked around. She ran over to the ice prison that held the creature and tried to catch her reflection in its surface. She couldn't see anything.

"They are...they've always been brown...why...what…", she was beginning to panic again.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Keith. She saw him flinch ever so slightly although he tried to maintain a calm face.

"Keith...what is it...what happened to my eyes?" she implored.

"They're...they're grey."

Noor was too shocked to say anything. She looked into his eyes hoping he was lying.

"Are you...sure?"

Pidge walked over and looked at her.

"Yeah", she nodded. "They're grey alright."

"But...how? When...", she frowned and then with sudden rage she turned around once again and slammed her hands on the ice box. "YOU! You monster! What have you done to me!?"

She kept banging on the block, her voice growing louder with every word.

"Noor...it's okay", Hunk turned her around and pulled her into an embrace.

"Yeah", Pidge added trying to sound cheerful, "It looks good on you!"

"We have bigger things to worry about", Noor pulled back and straightened herself. She looked at Luten who held up an unconscious Shiro.

"We need to regroup and make sense of everything we know so far", Keith spoke finally. "Let's head back to the ship so…"

"You mean to Olkaship?" Hunk corrected him.

"Fine", Keith grunted, "to the….Olkaship so Bani can help Shiro."

Hunk smiled in satisfaction and Noor looked at Pidge in confusion.

"Oh yeah", Pidge grinned, "that's the name of our ship...Olkarion ship...Olkaship!"

Noor blinked in disbelief.

_They came up with a name for the ship while all this was happening!?_

"We should take the creature with us", Keith added.

"You're right", Luten nodded, "before he...thaws."

Keith noticed Noor's pained expression. She placed one hand on the icebox and stared at the creature. She tried feeling the strange energy within her. She tried accessing it the way she had somehow managed to when Pidge was in danger. But she felt nothing.

"Can we keep it in a controlled environment?"

"Yeah, we have a room for that", Pidge stood beside her and peered through the ice.

"And what about the rest of them?" Luten gestured towards the frozen mannequins.

"We can leave them here", Noor replied. "They're useless now."

* * *

Noor sat at the window, looking at the planet below. It had been a brown desert planet when she was descending in the pod with the creature. And now, it was a white sphere covered with the water that she had raised from below the surface and frozen over everyone.

She pulled her knees in closer as she remembered every single moment. Something in her had been triggered during the attack and all her memories since the day she had been abducted from Earth had come rushing back. She was feeling more overwhelmed than ever before.

"You okay?"

She turned and saw Shiro standing the doorway.

"Shiro!" she smiled in relief. "You're alright."

"Of course", he gave her a tired smile, "it takes more than a silly punch to get me."

"Good to know", she managed a grin and made space for him on the window ledge.

Shiro sat beside her and looked at the planet too. For a while, they sat in silence. He turned to face Noor and saw the lost expression on her face.

"Noor...it's all going to be…."

"Fine? How is it going to be fine?" Noor's voice had a touch of bitterness.

"We're all here…"

"No one...none of us can figure this out. We don't know anything. Who that creature is. Where it came from. Why it did this. HOW it did this to me. What _this_ even is", she stared at her hands.

"Whatever it is, it saved us."

"I don't feel human anymore!" Noor blurted out. She looked at Shiro, her lips trembling. "I feel like all my humanity is being replaced by something else. I can feel it...inside me. It's fighting me. Trying to take over."

"Noor", Shiro held her hand. "Believe me….I understand." Shiro sighed and turned to show his right arm to the confused girl.

"You see this arm? It's an advanced prosthetic that the Garrison made. But before I had this, I had another robotic arm. It was a weaponized Galra prosthetic."

Noor looked at him in surprise.

"I was a prisoner of the Galra. They messed with my mind and body. I don't think I still entirely remember what they did to me but they had more control over me than I ever realized. I caused a lot of harm and destruction. I had unimaginable power and strength. I always felt like a part of me wasn't human anymore."

Shiro didn't turn his gaze away from Noor as he spoke. He wanted to show her that he truly understood. He wanted to show her that she wasn't alone. Noor could feel her tears roll down freely. She hunched over and covered her face and began sobbing. She leaned forward and rested her head on his chest. Shiro moved his hand to her back and rubbed it gently.

"It's okay", he whispered. "Trust me when I say, we are _all_ here for you. And we _will_ figure this out."

Noor nodded and gradually her sobs subsided. She took in a deep breath and sat back up. She wiped her face and gave him a grateful smile.

"Are you ready to see the others?"

"I need a few more minutes."

"Alright", he stood up and smiled, "we'll wait. Join us in the lounge when you're ready."

* * *

"So what do we know?" Shiro began.

"Well for starters", Bani spoke, "I was of no use."

"Yeah, what happened?" Pidge asked.

"It was like the cube", Bani frowned, "it jammed my entire system. The weapon system, the comm, everything was down! I only regained control when Noor..."

Her voice trailed off as Noor entered the lounge, followed by Kosmo. Everyone turned and looked at the girl. Noor bit her lips and hesitated.

"Noor!" Hunk rushed over.

Hunk lifted the girl up in a warm embrace. Noor's eyes widened in alarm but then she smiled and wrapped her arms around him. When he finally put her back down, Pidge and Shiro had joined them and she was encompassed in a group hug.

"Oh, come on Keith", Pidge groaned and pulled him into the embrace.

Keith rolled his eyes and let Shiro and Pidge wrap their arms around him.

"Bani, Luten...you too", Hunk called out, "being part of the team also means being part of the group hugs!"

"Umm...guys...you're kinda suffocating me", Noor managed to mumble from the center.

"Alright", Shiro interrupted the chuckles and sighs.

"It's good to have you back, Noor. That was some good work with the daggers!" Luten whispered to her as everyone headed back to their seats.

"Let's get back to more serious matters now", Shiro continued. "Bani, go on…"

"Well", she eyed Noor hesitantly, "as I was saying, the ship...Olkaship...was completely jammed and I was helpless until Noor...took them out. Their ship was damaged by the water spouts."

Noor shrunk into her seat and fixed her gaze on Kosmo.

"What happened in the base?" Keith led the conversation forward so as to not dwell on that incident just yet.

Luten briefed them on everything that had happened which wasn't much. Shiro and he had managed to get to Noor without any issues. There had been only five guards as per Bani's scans and they were caught off guard when a swarm of more mercenaries had descended on them.

"What happened to you guys? Weren't you on their ship? How did you guys get captured?" Luten asked.

"We managed to sneak in easily", Pidge adjusted her glasses, "but the same thing happened."

"More guards?"

"Yeah", Keith frowned. "But there was something strange. When we got to the ship, we found a room which had a lot of bodies."

"Dead bodies? Prisoners?"

"No", Pidge responded, "it didn't make any sense. My scans didn't pick up any heat signatures or biomarkers. We didn't know they were there until we saw them. They seemed sedated. There must have been at least thirty of them."

"And then all of a sudden", she continued, "shadows surrounded us and they sprung to life!"

"They attacked us and there were just too many", Keith sighed. "They dragged us down here and some of them went inside and the next thing we saw, was you three being dragged out as well."

"Did you find anything else that could be useful on the ship?"

"I noticed that the ship itself was unlike the others we have encountered in the past. It didn't belong to any one planet. The tech, the parts, the weapons...all seemed to be from various planets and races. Almost as if they were sourced separately and the ship was put together part by part."

"And can we track the parts?"

"I recognized a bunch of them. We can trace them back to the black markets on some of the swap moons."

"Anything else?" Shiro looked around the lounge expectantly.

"Nope", Hunk muttered. "That's all we have for now."

"There's one more thing", Noor finally spoke as she reached into her pocket and pulled out two vials.

"I snatched this from its robes when it fell on me", Noor whispered as she opened her palm out for everyone to see.

Pidge adjusted her glasses and stepped forward. She eyed the small bottles. The substance inside had a faint glow to it. She wasn't able to determine its nature.

"Is that a liquid or gas?"

"I'm not sure", Noor finally shifted her gaze to the vials. "It looks like it's somewhere in between."

Noor took in a deep breath.

"When I was in the room with the creature before Luten and Shiro broke in, something strange happened."

"It wanted me to meditate. It was weird, but I decided to comply. It wanted to guide me. It said I needed to connect to my spirit. That my dreams are actually some sort of...visions."

"It said I held a power that was apparently snatched away from the human race thousands of years ago. A power that the Alteans and Galra knew but didn't fully understand."

"It said It needed to complete my _fusion_ with it, whatever that means. It wants to use me as a weapon to destroy all the threats to humanity."

"So it's a human?" Luten asked. "What happened?"

"I don't know. All I know is it couldn't hold this power. It...it made me see all my deepest darkest fears and wanted me to get past them to be able to connect to...myself...to something inside me."

"What kind of dreams...visions are you seeing?"

"Trees surrounded by glowing water", Noor whispered, "A path in a cosmic void. Shadowy creatures."

"Shadowy creatures?" Pidge jumped up, "Like the ones that seem to escape every time we kill a soldier? Like what we saw rush into the room of sedated creatures moments before they sprung to life?"

"Perhaps", Noor looked at her, "Just before we were ambushed by more guards, I saw the creature do something strange. It closed its eyes and it looked like it was chanting and doing magic."

"Maybe it did something to...wake those guards up?"

"Maybe."

"Do you think the vial is the power, or connected to the power?" Bani asked.

"When I…", Noor tried to control her quivering voice. "When I saw the guard pointing his gun at Pidge, something in me snapped. I stopped fighting the thing inside. I felt an enormous power rushing through my body and...in a flash I remembered everything."

"When they abducted me from Earth and took me to the first base, they tied me up in the lab, I felt a shadowy thing surround me and I think...I think it went into me. After what seemed like an eternity, I felt it leave me and when I looked around, I saw the creature and the other smaller one look at me with satisfaction."

"The smaller one that we captured in Naxzela?" Shiro asked.

Noor nodded and continued, "He was the one who did all the experiments on me. The creature would just watch. I think the others didn't survive the same experiment and the few of us that did, were separated and taken to Naxzela."

"What did they do there?" Luten crossed his arms in front of his chest and frowned.

"I remember", Noor looked at the shining vials. "...they injected me with something from similar vials. I passed out and had these visions. The next thing I remember was waking up...or maybe it was just part of the visions...and I was underwater."

"You _did_ remember being put in a water tank when you saw the tub in Ures", Luten reminded her.

"Yeah, that was probably real then. I was underwater and the water began to glow."

"I think", Pidge interrupted softly, "...the same thing happened when I was in the tub with you when we were trying to get your fever down."

"What?" Keith looked at Pidge in disbelief. "You never told us that."

"I didn't know what it was or if it was even real", Pidge shuffled nervously. "But now, maybe it was. The water probably did glow and maybe...maybe it helped her get better."

"It's possible", Noor said as she thought back to the water tank, "...when I was submerged I felt myself at the brink of something...death...I could feel my life force leaving me, I could barely hold on to it. But when the water glowed, I felt myself being bound to my own life force but in a stronger, more...extreme way."

"When they pulled me out, I felt alive once again. I think they strapped me back and I had more visions...falling into a never-ending blue abyss. But just as I was about to come out from the other side, I felt myself being pulled back. I felt myself traveling further away from the abyss and back into the real world. I think that was when you guys found me."

"Ever since then, I can feel something inside. And I feel it trying to overpower me. I keep fighting it. The creature kept telling me to let go, accept things, go with the flow. And that's what I think I did when I stopped then outside the base...I think surrendering to the thing inside me, allowed me to do all that, in a way."

"It looked like", Pidge fumbled for words, "...like you were controlling the water."

"I think we need to contact Queen Ryner", Bani stood up, "I have a feeling she can help us."

"Why...how would she know anything about this?" Luten looked confused.

"I can't be sure but the Olkari have always believed that we share a deep bond with everything around us, that if we tap into this connection...we can do anything."

"I remember", Pidge gasped as she began to follow, "Ryner told me once that at the deepest level, trees, metal, us...we're all made up of the same cosmic dust. That everything is...connected."


	17. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when they thought they were making progress, the team suffers another blow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay. I've been traveling internationally for visa work and life admin stuff has caught up with me. But I'm finally posting the next few chapters and can't wait to move forward and thicken the plot.

* * *

"Bani! Shiro! We were just about to contact you", Ryner looked flustered.

"Is everything okay, Queen Ryner?" Shiro stepped up to the screen.

"The scientist creature...he has escaped!"

"What? How?" Keith exclaimed.

"We're not sure what happened! The prison was suddenly attacked...and that too by our OWN guards!"

"How did that happen?!" Bani asked in shock.

"All we saw was a...a heavy shadow spread through the prison and before we knew what was happening, all our guards turned on us."

"It's him. It's the creature", Pidge turned to the others, "Somehow it unleashed its shadows to break the scientist out. Probably at the same time it woke all the guards that attacked us."

"It probably needs the scientist to finish the experiment", Hunk added.

"It doesn't make sense", Luten shook his head, "it could have done the same to us…let the shadows posses us. Why didn't it? It would have made its life a whole lot easier."

"Maybe not all hosts are easy to take over", Pidge thought out loud.

"And we're not easy victims", Hunk grinned.

"Where's Noor", Ryner asked.

Noor walked up to the screen and stood beside Shiro.

"My dear", Ryner continued, "I have a feeling there is something much much deeper behind all this. The creature you were captured by...did it say anything to you?"

Noor recounted everything she had shared with the others. With each piece of information, Ryner's face grew more worried.

"This all sounds familiar. I can't put a finger on it, but this reminds me of old folklore", Ryner frowned.

"The Olkari's connection to everything around them is what allows us to work so flawlessly with metal and nature and fuse everything to create things with our mind", she looked at Noor. "The quintessence and the alchemy that the Alteans received from the sages in Oriande, is an extension of a similar connection to the energy in the universe."

"The dark powers that Zarkon and Haggar harnessed might as well have been another form of these energies...in a way", Ryner was lost in her thoughts.

"I can't tell you exactly what all this is, but I know that the creature...somehow it has gained knowledge we thought was lost. And if its words to you are true, it has found the root of something ancient...that existed in the cosmos far before any of us can remember...and it may be able to wield it...through you."

"Folk tales tell us", Ryner continued, "that in ancient times, there were mysterious creatures that roamed the universe. No one knew where they came from. Stories spoke of their powers. That they carried the spirit of the universe within them. Their connection to everything is what allowed them to bend the energy that resides within everything. The lucky few that came in their presence, were granted the knowledge and gained insight into the secrets of the cosmos."

"These are children's tales. Who knows if this is true, but it is believed that that is how the Olkari, the Alteans, and so many other races learnt to work with the elements", Bani added.

"Perhaps", Ryner smiled, "but it's been tens of thousands of years . We have advanced so much as engineers and scientists that such things sound like fantasy."

"I…", Luten spoke hesitantly, "I have heard similar stories from my grandparents and great grandparents. Of how there was a time when humans lived in harmony and balance with nature. Of how they could harness the chi around them, which was present in everything. Water, fire, earth, air. It seems unbelievable though", he chuckled.

"But then how do you explain what happened on Sepi?" Hunk interrupted.

There was silence in the room for several minutes as everyone processed their words. It was beyond anyone's understanding, beyond any science and tech they had ever heard of or seen. It seemed like magic, something outside of reality.

"What's our next step?" Keith finally broke the silence.

"Bani, Pidge…", Ryner replied. "You two need to analyze the contents of the vial, but be _very_ careful...and also...study Noor...so we can understand as much as possible."

Just then, they heard a sound outside the craft. Pidge pulled up a visual and to everyone's astonishment, they saw the terrorist's ship begin to move.

"Who is in there now? There can't be more guards! The creature can't possibly control them from inside an ice….", Pidge froze and looked at Shiro in alarm.

"I'm not letting them have their way this time", Noor grunted as she made her way to a pod.

"No!", Keith stopped her. "You're still recovering from that...event...and they're trying to get you and the creature back. We can't afford to lose you again."

"The last time you guys fought them, you failed. That's how they got me in the _first_ place", Noor snapped.

She paused when she realized how rude her tone was.

"I'm...I'm sorry…", she fumbled, "All I'm saying is...I want help."

"You need to heal", Keith replied.

"I don't want to heal! I want to fight!" Noor scowled.

"Clearly", Shiro chuckled. "Please Noor...try and understand."

"Are you forgetting that I...did that", she pointed to the now white planet. "I...took them all out."

Shiro and Keith looked at each other, both unsure of what to say.

"Can you do it again?" Pidge stood up finally.

"Uhh", Noor avoided everyone's expectant gaze.

"Here", Pidge brought over a glass of water. "Try it."

Noor took in a deep breath and focussed on the water. She closed her eyes and lifted her hands over the glass. She could feel everyone holding their breath. She felt unsettled by the attention and flashes of the destruction she had brought down on the base attacked her racing mind, unsettling her. She dropped her hands and gulped.

"No", she stuttered. "I can't."

"It's settled then", Keith said as he walked to the pod.

Noor frowned and joined Bani in the control room and saw five pods dart towards the ship. This time, they seemed more prepared and were able to successfully dodge the red beam.

Pidge shot green beams at their pods and Noor watched in awe as the pods were swallowed whole by growing vines.

"Ryner adapted Pidge's bayard's powers to make this new weapon. Pidge has always had a deeper connection to nature than the others."

"Pidge? Nature?" Noor asked bewildered.

"It's true", Bani chuckled.

They managed to take out half the pods as Bani provided them with cover fire. But Noor saw in frustration as the black shadows escaped each time and returned to the ship. Within seconds, more mercenaries emerged from the hatch and fought off Shiro, Hunk and Keith who had managed to climb aboard.

"This is hopeless", she grunted. "They're just going to keep coming back and…"

Suddenly they heard a noise behind them. Noor turned around in alarm and Bani pulled up all the security footage.

"There...in there", Bani pointed.

"Tell the team. I'll need back up", Noor called and began running out of the control room, followed by her obedient daggers.

* * *

Noor slowed down as she approached the corridor. She took in a deep breath and whispered into her comm.

"Do you see them?"

"I see two, ahead on your right", Bani replied. "They're trying to break into the…"

Noor heard a loud sound.

"Bani! Can you shut the doors remotely, once they're in?"

"The controls are down for that entire sector!" she groaned. "The manual control is just outside the room."

Noor leapt ahead and turned into the corridor just in time to see two bodies entering the ambient room. She ran ahead and entered the master code to the entrance. But before the door could close completely, one guard jumped out towards her. The other was locked in with the creature.

Noor snapped her hands forward and her daggers whizzed past her and lodged into the guard's chest. He fell back and Noor rushed at him. Her fist flew towards his jaw and made heavy contact. She heard more sounds from the room - a loud crack and then repeated knocking.

The guard took advantage of her momentary distraction, pulled out her daggers and lunged for her. Noor fell back as it gripped her neck. He raised her off the ground, crushing her between the wall and his hand. Noor struggled but managed to call the daggers to her fingers and as they touched her, the knuckles popped out and clicked onto her fingers. With two clean swipes she slashed at his neck.

The guard winced in pain and bent forward grabbing his bleeding neck. Noor caught her breath and before he could recover, kneed him in this face. His shouts fell silent as she struck a final blow with her daggers and rendered him limp.

She stepped back trembling as she saw blood dripping out. Just as she was sure he was dead, the black shadow escaped. She swatted and swiped but couldn't make any contact with the wispy form. She willed herself to conjure up water to create an ice trap all around it but to no avail.

"Guess I need actual water around me for that", she placed her hands on her hips in frustration as the shadow escaped.

"Noor!" Luten came running down the corridor. "Where are the…"

He paused when he saw the dead body outside the room.

"Okay then", he mumbled.

"The other one's in there", she pointed. "Should we just...leave it in there?"

"That's probably the best thing", Luten sighed.

"How did they even get in here!?"

Just then, a loud rumble shook the room's door. Luten grabbed hold of Noor's arm and stepped back. Suddenly, a giant hole broke through the door and they saw the creature emerge. The other guard was passed out in the room.

Noor gasped as she saw its face. It was even more distorted than before. It had a wild look in its eyes and moved with new found strength. With every passing second it seemed to get more savage and twisted, like its features were melting and would soon disappear.

But before that happened, it flew at them and knocked them out.

* * *

Noor felt shiny stars twinkle all around her. She groaned as her eyes slowly opened and then she felt the pain. Her head was throbbing and her jaw seemed like it was out of place.

"Noor…", she felt Keith lean closer. "Are you okay?"

"Huh…", Noor felt disoriented. She pressed her temples tightly between her hands to stop the spinning.

She saw Luten sitting beside her, also groaning and wincing. He was pressing something against his jaw.

"Here", Keith held up a white pack.

Before she could see what it was, he was pressing the cold object against her cheek.

"You were knocked out", he whispered slowly seeing her cringe at every sound.

"What happ…", before she could finish her sentence, Noor's eyes rolled back and the next second, she was falling back once more.

"Aaand she's out again", she heard Pidge chuckle before she lost consciousness.

* * *

When she woke up again, Noor was on her bed. Hunk was by her side, pressing a cold pack against her face.

"Better?"

"I think so", she sighed. "What happened?"

"Well...they managed to get the creature and escape in their ship. But the good news is we managed to do some damage to their ship."

"I can't believe I let them get away", Noor frowned and felt anger rushing through her body.

"Hey, we failed too."

Noor gritted her teeth and didn't respond.

"But you really did a number on that guard", he chuckled.

"They're as good as dead either way. I think the only reason they can do things is because of those shadows that possess their body."

"Hmm…"

The door opened and everyone walked in.

"You're up!" Pidge exclaimed and sat beside her.

"Looks like it", Noor grunted.

"So we have good news and bad news", Pidge continued.

"Hunk told me", Noor interrupted. "I let the creature get away and the ship escaped too."

"And we've kinda lost their trail. But I was able to predict their path based on their movement and it looks like their headed to this swap moon."

"This is hopeless", Noor mumbled.

"You did your best, Noor", Luten said, "None of us could have stopped him...given the way he fought…."

"I think I know how he did that", Noor chewed on her lips.

"I think, somehow, the shadow left the guard and entered him and that made him...stronger or something. But his body...something strange was happening to it while he held the shadow. I think it can't hold it for too long. That's why his appearance is what it is. He gets deformed when he holds these...shadows. And the other guards...they're not really alive when the shadows use them. They're just alive enough that the shadows can possess them without any effort."

"What I don't understand is...how they broke in here?!" Noor frowned.

"It looks like one of the hatches was jammed and didn't close properly when someone's...", Keith glared at Hunk, "...pod exited."

"What!?" Hunk held his hands up in defense, "It's not my fault...it was a mechanical failure!"

"It was jammed by a can of soda", Keith snapped.

"Okay yeah...maybe that was a little bit of my fault."

"Alright, team", Shiro spoke finally, "We're headed to the swap moon for now. Shouldn't take more than a day."

* * *

Noor sat by the pool, her legs dangling in the water. She was gazing deep into the blue water. Her mind kept seeing the tank she was immersed in, as if her spirit had floated out of her body and now watched her submerged body.

She tried to remember what she had done and how she had done it, back on Sepi. She remembered the fear and rage she felt when the guard held a gun to Pidge's head. Everything had gone white and the next thing she knew, her mind was racing with noises that drove her crazy.

When she had finally opened her eyes, she saw Keith's bewildered and concerned face telling her that she had saved them all. There were fountains spouting from the ground and frozen ice covering the terrorists and everything else.

"But how?" she muttered to herself.

She took a deep breath and lifted her hands above the pool. She concentrated and tried focussing on the water. Nothing. She closed her eyes and placed extended both hands above the water and moved her arms up slowly.

"Come on, Noor. Connect. Feel the...energy or whatever."

Nothing. She grunted and clenched her fists.

"How did I do it?! Stupid water", she yelled at the pool.

"Am I interrupting?"

Noor looked up and saw Shiro walking over.

"No", she groaned and shook her head. "You're not interrupting _anything_. Because nothing is happening. It's no use. Whatever happened on Sepi, I can't make any sense of it. And I definitely can't do it again."

"Give it time."

"Maybe…", she frowned and looked at him.

"Noor", Shiro placed a hand on hers, "look at how far you've come."

"What do you mean? I'm still as clueless and useless as when you found me", she whined.

"You're looking at it all wrong. When we found you, you were terrified. But now, you've pushed past all your pain. You've opened yourself to all of us. That took guts after everything you've lost. You sacrificed yourself and went back into that hell hole without hesitation. Not only did you survive whatever it is they did to you, but you saved us all."

Shiro's face was filled with admiration and affection. He squeezed her hand encouragingly with every word. She placed her other hand on his and looked at their hands for several seconds. It was comforting to feel the warmth that radiated from his presence.

"I'm still scared though."

"I know...that's what makes you so much braver...you did all this despite being scared...that's why I'm so proud of you."

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she rested her head on Shiro's shoulder. Shiro patted her hand and they sat in silence. After a few minutes, he spoke again.

"Are you ready to join the others? Pidge and Bani need to do some...tests on you and the vial."

She smiled and nodded, wiping her tears. Shiro stood up, offering her his hand.

"Thank you", she hugged him.


	18. Glow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team tries to understand more about the powers Noor unleashed on Sepi and the contents of the vial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning - There is some description of self harm in this chapter but not in the context of any suicidal or self destructive tendencies.
> 
> P. S. - I use a hindi phrase in this chapter, 'Hey bhagwaan!', which basically means 'Oh god!'

* * *

"Her energy signatures are nothing like I've ever seen before", Pidge adjusted her spectacles. "We've had to recalibrate everything just to measure them. The biorhythms we were tracking her with are all gone. It's like her entire...energy...changed on Sepi."

"Is she stable?" Keith frowned.

"Stable? She's thriving!" Pidge exclaimed. "Her signals are strong and seem to be increasing."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I don't think it's a bad thing. It's not just her biorhythm that's changed. Something else...I can't put a finger on it...but something else has changed in her and it's clearly handling this transformation…"

"Spirit…", Bani interrupted, "It's called spirit. That something you're talking about. Everyone has it. It supports something inside you...and it takes over when you let go."

"So, something in her spirit was affected by the experiments?"

"Possibly", Bani nodded.

"What about the vials? Any luck with them?"

"Whatever they are, they have similar readings as her."

"It's like there's spirit in bottle", Pidge giggled out loud.

Bani looked at the vials carefully.

"Wait", Pidge sobered up, "that's not possible, is it?"

"Who knows! Everything is so unfamiliar and strange", Bani sighed.

"Wait", Pidge exclaimed, "we have seen such level before. How did I not realize it!"

"Where?" Keith asked.

"Umm", she hesitated, "in the quintessence Haggar was trying to harness."

"She has quintessence in her?!" Keith gasped in disbelief.

"Not exactly, but something like it."

"Is she…", Keith began but paused. "When will she wake up?"

Keith leaned forward and gazed into the healing pod. Noor was unconscious but looked so serene, as if in a peaceful slumber. She was surrounded by the decontamination vapors. She looked like an otherworldly being amidst the purple haze.

"Don't worry, a few more ticks", Pidge grinned. "Miss her already?"

"What!" Keith's eyes opened wide, "That's not what…"

Just then, the pod opened and a cool mist escaped it. They heard a soft moan and Noor opened her eyes. She gave them a tired smile and began standing up. Her legs caved and she tumbled forward onto Keith. He fell back unprepared and they both crashed onto the ground. Instinctively, Keith wrapped his arms around her and held on tight.

"Ow!" She screeched as they landed. "Keith!"

"Ughh…", he groaned, "What?"

"I thought you were stronger than that", she rubbed her arm and forehead as she stood up shakily.

"I'll take that as a thank you for breaking your fall", he rolled his eyes and stood up.

She glared at him as she walked towards Bani and Pidge. Keith glared back and crossed his arms across his chest, looking away.

"So...what did you find?" Noor stood with her hand on her hips. "Am I an alien yet", she gave a sarcastic smile.

"Define alien", Pidge smirked.

"I mean...not human", Noor pouted.

"Well...technically, you're not the same as...before…"

"What does that mean?"

"Your biomarkers...your entire signature, is different now."

Noor looked confused. She wrapped her arms around herself.

"Okay…", she whispered. "So what now…"

"I'm not sure if I should remove the contents of the vial for experiments. The last time we trapped a strange entity on our ship, it possessed Allura and nearly killed us all."

"But we can try some other kinds of tests with you", Bani added.

"Like what?" Keith stood beside Noor and his face softened.

"Well, we can submerge her in water again. That seems to have triggered something in the past."

"Fine", Noor nodded.

* * *

She took in a few deep breaths as she lowered herself into the pool.

"Are you sure she should be alone in there", Keith frowned.

"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea either", Luten sat beside the pool.

Pidge looked at Noor who gave a small nod. "Let's give it a few seconds first."

Noor leaned back and floated on the surface. She closed her eyes and relaxed, comforted by the lapping water. She held a weight over her chest and slowly, let it take her down. As her face disappeared into the blue, Keith bit his lips and shook his head.

"I don't like this", he whispered.

They watched as Noor stayed under for several seconds. For a while nothing happened, then they saw her surface.

"Nope", she spoke as she wiped her face, "nothing's happening."

"Alright, come out", Luten offered his hand.

She shook her head, "Not yet. I have an...idea. When I was in the tub with Pidge and inside that tank at the base, both times...I was...injured."

"And…", Pidge began following her thought process, "you think that's what triggered whatever happened...the glow…"

Noor nodded her head.

"So what are you suggesting?"

"Okay...hear me out before you yell at me...I could injure myself just a _little_...It might help!"

"No way", Keith shook his head, "get out now."

"Excuse me?" Noor frowned. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Noor…"

"I'm going to do whatever it takes. We have to try. Now give me your blade."

"What?! I am not going to…"

"Hey bhagwaan!", she waded through the water towards him and reached for the blade strapped to his waist.

"No!" Keith blocked her hand.

"Give it!" she snapped and fought him off with one hand. "Pidge, help me!"

Pidge smirked and caught hold of Keith's arms. Noor snatched the dagger off the holster and waded back hastily, out of his reach.

"Noor, I swear to god if you…"

"Calm down, dummy. I know what I'm doing."

Noor took in a deep breath and lifted her leg up. She slid the blade across her thigh and hid her wince as her skin split open. She gulped and smiled at the group reassuringly. She looked at the wound, dissatisfied, and then held the tip of the dagger below her collarbone.

"What do you think you're…"

"I don't think the thigh cut is enough. I'm just going to slightly…"

"That's it", Keith jumped in. "You've lost your mind."

"Guys, can you please hold this moron back", Noor groaned.

Keith approached her angrily. Before he could grab her, she hid the blade behind her and placed one hand on his chest.

"Just trust me, please."

Something in her eyes made Keith stop. He held her gaze for several seconds. He threw his head back with a groan and dragged his hands down his face. He glanced back at the others. Luten had a frown but he shrugged. Pidge was smiling and gesturing him to come back. Hunk looked worried but said nothing. Shiro and Bani nodded at him silently.

"Fine", he turned his attention back to Noor, "but only a tiny cut", he added with a whisper.

Noor saluted him mockingly.

"Stupid girl", he grunted and got out of the pool.

Noor took a deep breath and placed the blade on her skin once more. She slowly pushed it in and swallowed her whimper. Carefully, she dragged it across and carved it open. A few blood drops trickled out. She saw Hunk and Shiro gasp and Luten curl his lips inwards. She winked at them and steadied her trembling body.

She lay back again and lifted the weight. She sank in and waited. Pidge watched in anticipation. Sure enough, a glow began emerging.

"That's it", she whispered to the others, "this is exactly what happened in the tub."

The glow lingered around her body. They watched and waited, expecting her to surface any moment.

"How long has it been?" Luten asked.

"About a minute", Hunk gasped.

"How is that possible!?" Luten exclaimed in disbelief.

"Maybe she can hold her breath really long", Pidge offered. "The record on earth is 30 minutes."

They sat patiently and after 5 minutes, the glow began to recede.

"She's coming up", Luten jumped.

Noor's body floated up and she opened her eyes slowly. She pushed the weight off and stood up. She ran her hands down her head and face, squeezing the water out. She touched her chest and felt for the cut. It was smooth. Her eyes opened wide and she hurriedly lifted her leg and stared at her thigh. It was smooth too.

Her heart raced and she felt a thrill rush through her body. A smile spread across her lips, gradually growing wider and wider. She looked up at the group, ecstatic and bewildered. Everyone looked astonished. Her eyes landed on Keith and she gave him a smug grin. Keith rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Get out of the water now", he grunted.

Noor swam over and climbed out of the pool.

"I don't know how I did it, but I healed myself. I fucking healed the cuts!"

Everyone chuckled at the astounded girl. Pidge stepped forward and studied the healed skin.

"This is...unbelievable. It's like there was no wound here at all. I know some races are known to heal quickly. But you were in there for just five minutes!"

"I KNOW!" she shrieked and began jumping in place.

"Alright, let's go back to the lab", Hunk laughed and held her down by her shoulders.

"I got a sample of the water when she was in there", Bani said as she took Noor's vitals and some other readings quickly.

"I think I can run her markers through a pattern map I have been building since we began traveling across the universe. I can try finding the closest match and maybe even understand its nature based on its relative…"

"There's literally no need to explain it to us", Keith interrupted her. "Just tell us the results once you're done."

"You can tell me, Pidge", Noor smiled. "I really want to know."

* * *

The next morning, everyone gathered after breakfast in the control room. Noor paced nervously as she watched Pidge and Bani pull up a bunch of screens.

"Right now your markers are somewhere between the average levels in the Olkari and Alteans. It is close to the intensity of the quintessence we have encountered in the past but still nowhere close to the pure quintessence Haggar had wielded", Pidge was showing a series of waves that undulated with occasional surges and dips.

She superimposed multiple patterns and Noor watched as she adjusted the visualization density and axes.

"It seems that your levels are fluctuating but there is a pattern to it. This morning they grew by a factor of 0.6. It could be that the visions you have during your sleep play a role in this. I think, if the creature had been successful in injecting you with the remaining two vials, your spikes would be much higher. Maybe even closer to the pure quintessence. Also", she swiped and brought up a scan of a body.

"This is a real time signature image of you", Pidge continued. "We can track your energy intensity, fluctuations, vitals, and other stuff. It could bring something new to light if you are able to do the water thing again or if something happens during your sleep."

"Oh", Noor shuffled uncomfortably. "Is that going to be...visible to everyone all the time?"

"I can keep it on if needed, yes", Pidge chuckled. "Why?"

"It's just...it feels like an invasion of my privacy", Noor's cheeks turned red.

"Look at that", Pidge pointed at the image, "your embarrassment is showing."

"Shut up, Pidge!" Noor snapped. "Please turn that off for now."

"Hmm...", Bani frowned. "Your anger seems to have a huge impact on the signature. It's firing your...that's weird…", she zoomed in on Noor's head, "Usually the hypothalamus and amygdala would light up and Catecholamines levels shoot up. But in your case, areas in the peripheral system are lighting up."

"What does that mean?" Noor asked.

"The somatosensory", Bani replied but then paused looking at the confused faces around her, "I mean it's like all your senses are exploding. They are becoming more sensitive to any sensory stimuli."

"And look at this", Pidge pointed to a dynamic graph. "Is that right?"

"Hmm", Bani observed the changing levels, "the theta and alpha waves in your brain are higher which makes no sense because they indicate a meditative state, almost like you're having a dream; possibly even disassociating. It looks like your gamma waves will rise too if your anger increases, which indicate a spiritual emergence...a unity of conscious perception. As expected though, your delta waves were off the charts in the pool - because of the healing."

"Look at the hippocampus", Bani exclaimed excitedly, "latest research has revealed a new segment there which decodes skill memory and it seems like that is getting triggered right now. As if the anger is stimulating your brain to retrieve some stored learned memory."

"Jeez", Noor let out a long exhale, "this is a lot of smart words and science to take in in less than a minute."

"Basically", Pidge turned towards her, "Instead of showing the usual symptoms of anger, your body and brain are showing unexpected behaviors. It's as if your going into a meditative, almost spiritual state. It's like your brain is somehow uniting all your senses and your conscious perception. It's trying to dig deep into your memory to retrieve something."

"Trust me, I feel anything but calm and meditative right now", Noor snorted.

"Right now the levels aren't high enough but if your anger keeps increasing, you will show stronger signs of this behaviour and perhaps even disassociate."

"By disassociate you mean...disconnect from my body? Like detach from my immediate reality?" Noor's eyes opened wide.

"Maybe…but we can't be sure."

"Okay", Noor took in another deep breath and paced back and forth. "So...this morning has been productive...at least we learnt a lot more about my...state...and the vials. So what can we do next? Before I float away from body and go crazy."

Noor began biting her nails compulsively as her pace increased.

"Noor", she felt a hand on her shoulder. Luten stopped her in place, "you need to stay calm."

Noor nodded as she folded her fingers into a fist and pressed them against her sides.

"We'll reach the swap moon by tomorrow evening", Bani announced.

"Alright", Shiro nodded, "Bani, I need to go over any and all of the updates from the Olkari, the Coalition, Blades…"

"I'll join you", Keith followed Shiro as the others left the control room.

* * *

"You're holding back!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Why are you holding back today?"

"Noor...I...alright...I am holding back. You're going through…"

"I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you really…"

"Come on...let's do this right."

"Alright." Luten sighed and took his stance.

As they began sparring once more, Noor attacked with precision. She was in complete sync with the blades. Luten kept his shield handy as he kept dodging and evading her. Noor, on the other hand, barely opened her shield. The few times Luten did attack her with his light whip, she ran, leapt, slid and flowed like water. And just like water, she was difficult to catch hold of. After a few minutes, Noor groaned in frustration.

"You're not attacking me, Luten!" She growled as she lunged at him.

She spun around and landed a kick square on his stomach, sending him reeling back. With another swipe at his feet, she broke his stance and sent him crashing to the ground. As Luten landed on the floor wincing in pain, Noor stood over him, her daggers hovering over his neck and chest.

"I don't want your pity." She snapped.

"I don't pity you. I…", Luten muttered. "...I care."

Noor frowned and stared at his face. She removed her foot off his chest and crossed her hands across her chest.

"I want to train. I want to get better. And for that, I need you to push me. Not treat me like a fragile person."

With that, Noor walked away. Her daggers flew to the shelf and the door shut close as she left the training room.

* * *

Noor wasn't able to sleep. Her mind raced with all the information and events of the day. She needed a distraction. Otherwise she would fall down a dangerous hole in her mind. She walked to the training room and wrapped the bandage on her hands. She focussed all her frustration and restlessness on the training obstacles. As she punched and kicked her way around them, practicing different sets and combos, time flew by.

"No sleep?"

Noor paused as she recognized the voice. She held the punching bag in place and took a deep breath.

"Nope."

"What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Look I'm not really good at talking with people, and I don't expect you to open up to me, but if there's ever anything on your mind…", Keith walked over to her, "...I'm just saying...I'm right here."

Noor turned around and unwrapped her bandages. She untied her sweaty hair and ran her hands through it as she held Keith's gaze.

"Why are you up so late?" she finally spoke.

"Uhh...I wasn't able to sleep too…", Keith shuffled in place.

Noor narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.

"Fine", Keith shrugged, "I was hungry. I had some leftover...muffins."

"There were leftover muffins!?"

"Just one. I think Hunk miscalculated today", he grinned.

"Oh", Noor bit her lips. "Just one, huh…"

Noor turned back to place the bandages on the table.

"Don't you want some?"

"What?" Noor's head perked up and she turned around quickly.

Keith chuckled and held the muffin out to her.

"Yes!" Noor gladly took it but she broke it and handed one half back to him.

"Here…", she shrugged. "It's only fair."

"Wow, how very generous", Keith took the piece and they leaned against the table and ate in silence.

"I was wondering…", Noor began but then hesitated. "Would you...I mean if it's alright...would you mind training with me some time?"

"What about Luten?"

Noor looked at the ground, unsure of how to respond.

"Ever since I got back...he's been...he's treating me differently. He held back during our sparring session. And it's beginning to annoy me. I want to learn more and get stronger."

"You could ask Shiro. He was the one who taught me everything."

"I could...but I like your fighting style."

"Uhh", Keith felt his face turn red, "Thanks. But I don't think I would be a very good teacher...I'd be much worse than Luten."

"Oh...alright", Noor mumbled and continued nibbling on the muffin. "Anyway, I should go...and try to get some sleep."

With a small wave of her hand, Noor left. Keith wondered why he had refused to train her. He had trained with the paladins before and he had worked with a lot of the new Blades.

"What the hell was that?" He muttered to himself baffled.

Noor trudged along to her room. She felt angry, dejected, and disappointed all at once. She tried shaking off the heaviness by reminding herself that there were plenty of others who could help her. Shiro would definitely be the best teacher among all of them. Feeling a little more hopeful, she walked to her door but was startled by a sudden voice.

"Hey! Hold on…"

"Keith?"

"I…", he caught up with her, "I could try…"

"Try what?"

"Umm…helping you out..."

"Oh." Noor was surprised. "Okay...I thought you said…"

"Yeah but, I mean...I _have_ trained some of the new Blades so maybe I wouldn't be the _worst_ person for the job."

"I can work with that", Noor nodded and smiled.

"Okay then", he grinned sheepishly.

"Okay then", Noor chuckled. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


	19. Clear day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team needs a break as they make their way to the swap moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this filler chapter. Clear day was definitely one of my favorite episodes in between all the battles and missions!
> 
> Comments, suggestions, feedback are always welcome!

* * *

"Clear day?" Noor questioned. "What is that?"

"It's a carnival! On planet Drazan", Pidge squealed in delight.

"Its citizens can only come out on one day per year when the weather is clear. And that's why the celebration is called….", Hunk looked at her expectantly.

"...Clear day?" Noor muttered hesitantly.

"Yes!" Hunk and Pidge high fived each other.

"The last time we were there", Hunk continued, "we had so much fun!"

"Really?" Noor seemed intrigued. "What kind of stuff do they have? Is it like Earth Carnivals?"

"Do we really have time for this?" Keith interrupted with a frown. "We have to get to the swap moon today. We can't afford to..."

Hunk and Pidge turned to Shiro pleadingly. Keith looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Umm...", Shiro began.

"What if the terrorists are there right now and leave by the time we get there?" Keith groaned.

"He has a point", Shiro shrugged at Hunk and Pidge.

"Actually", Bani joined the discussion, "it may not be such a bad idea. We're getting faint energy levels from their ship in the general vicinity of the planet and Drazan fits their needs given its terrain and weather conditions. Most of the population will be gathered at the festival and there are enough places that make for a good hideout for repairs."

"Yes!" Pidge squealed. "That's _also_ a good point."

"Maybe it will be a good break", Shiro chuckled.

"It's literally on the way to the swap moon. It will only be a few hours. We need a break, Keith", Pidge pleaded.

" _Noor_ needs a break", Hunk added, holding her shoulders and turning her to Keith and Shiro.

"I do?" Noor muttered her eyes darting from Hunk to Shiro to Keith.

"She's been through so much. Just look at her."

"I have?" Noor spoke with difficulty as Hunk squished her cheeks lifting her face up towards them.

Pidge looked at her imploringly.

"Oh...uhh...yeah", she mumbled following their lead. "I have...I do...need a break."

Keith looked at her unimpressed. She shrugged and smiled. He sighed in resignation and threw his head back.

"Fine!"

* * *

Noor's mouth was agape as Pidge led her through the carnival. The lights, the colors, the sounds, the smell of all the food stalls, everything overwhelmed her. She felt a playful joy all around her and let herself be drawn in by it. It was easy to forget about everything else. The disturbing visions, the frightening thoughts, the incessant worrying, the exhausting anger.

"What do you want, Noor?" Pidge stopped in front of an arcade. "I can win you whatever you like!"

"Guys", Hunk ran over, "you gotta check this out. Shiro is back in the arm wrestling battle!"

"What?" Noor asked as she followed them into a huge yellow tent.

As soon as they entered, they heard a loud booming voice surround them. They ran up and joined Keith, Luten, and Bani by the ringside.

"Ladies and burrowmen! Boy, do we have an exciting match for you! Give it up for our former arm wrestling champion, the Black Paladin of Voltron, and the current captain of the IGF Atlas. Shiro!"

Noor watched in awe as a spotlight shone on Shiro, who had a confident grin on his face. His prosthetic arm shot straight up and zoomed back to him, falling into position as he flexed both arms. He stepped forward to the table with an attitude Noor had never seen on him before.

"Wow", Noor whispered, "I never realized what a badass Shiro is. Or how hot he is!"

Everyone looked at her surprised and Luten raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she grinned. "He is!"

"I agree", Pidge nodded in agreement.

Noor laughed and cheered as Shiro took a seat and his hands were bound to his challenger's, a gigantic angry looking alien. They watched the match progress excitedly. Shiro and the alien seemed equally matched in strength. Every time Shiro would gain ground, the alien would push back and gain just as much ground, only to lose it once again to Shiro's arm.

They roared and grunted and exclaimed as the two battled it out. Much to Noor's amusement, even Keith seemed to be completely invested in the match. Keith heard Noor scream the loudest and chuckled at the girl's aggression. She was yelling out some rather creative curses.

A few seconds later, Shiro growled and with a final push, slammed the alien's hand against the table. Roars spread throughout the tent and the team erupted into cheers and fist pumps and laughter. Noor rushed ahead on to the stage and hugged him.

"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Noor exclaimed gleefully. "You totally owned that loser!"

Shiro laughed at the girl's enthusiasm and was soon engulfed in more embraces by Hunk, Pidge and Bani who rushed onto the stage as well.

"Now that's what I call a true champion, Ladies and burrowmen", the host continued, "looks like he's got the attention of all the girls...and boy!"

Luten snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Any of you in the audience willing to step up to this challenge? Anyone out here ready to fight for the badge of the champion?!"

There were no volunteers.

"Looks like this champion is…."

"I'll do it!"

Everyone muttered and gasped as they tried to look ahead at the person who was challenging the champion. Noor, Bani, Hunk and Pidge stood stunned as they watched Luten get on the stage. They looked at him in confusion as he passed them and stood at the table.

"Alright, girls….and boy...get off the stage", the host gestured to them.

"What's up with him?" Pidge muttered under her breath.

"No idea", Hunk mumbled.

They returned to the floor and joined Keith who stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Noor stood by his side and her eyes jumped from Lutent to Shiro and back.

"Who do you think's gonna win?" Hunk asked.

"Shiro, of course", Keith and Noor spoke simultaneously.

They glanced at each other and grinned.

"I don't know", Bani spoke in a serious tone, "Look at Luten's face. He looks quite determined."

"Yeah...almost pissed off", Pidge observed, "where did _that_ come from!?"

"Maybe he wants the attention of all the girls on him", Hunk chuckled and nudged Pidge and Noor.

"Shut up, Hunk", Pidge snorted and adjusted her glasses.

"Maybe Hunk is right", Bani smirked, "look…"

Luten glanced down towards Noor for a brief moment before turning his attention back to Shiro.

"Looks like he wants a hug from Noor too", she chuckled.

Noor felt her face heat up and she scratched the back of her ear and looked away.

"Aww", Pidge chuckled, "are you blushing!?"

"Zip it, Pidge", Noor snapped.

"There's no way Luten is gonna win this anyway", Keith retorted.

The match began and Shiro's face turned from surprise, to readiness, to determination, to amusement, and finally to a chuckle. Without breaking a sweat, he pushed Luten's hand towards the table. Luten was grunting because of the sheer effort it took to resist the final push.

Shiro caught Luten look towards the team from the corner of his eye and thought he saw his gaze rest on Noor. He grinned to himself as he realized why the young man had challenged him. He shook his head and reduced the force with which he was pushing down on the boy's arm. Luten glanced at him in surprise and saw Shiro wink at him. He blushed and shot Shiro a grateful smile. With one swift motion, he swung Shiro's arm back and onto the table.

Silence reigned and the team froze. Their jaws dropped as they saw Luten slam Shiro's hand on the table in triumph. Shiro sat back and sighed, half in disappointment and half in amusement. Luten stood up beaming with joy.

"Well whadya know", the host found his voice, "looks like...we have a new champion!"

Shiro laughed and walked over to Luten. He handed him the badge of the champion and patted him on the back.

"You owe me", Shiro leaned in and whispered.

Luten nodded and laughed back. They stepped off the stage and joined the still astonished group. No one moved for several seconds. Eventually Hunk spoke first.

"Wow...uh...yeah that was...amazing. Way to go, Luten!" He hugged the boy and lifted him off the ground.

"Yeah", Pidge's eyes opened wide, "I can't believe someone beat Shiro!"

"What can I say", Shiro shrugged, "guess I'm getting old."

"Congratulations, Luten", Bani shook his hand. "That was _quite_ a comeback", she threw a sly smile at him.

"Uhh...yeah…", Luten cleared his throat. "Adrenaline, I guess."

Luten turned to face Noor who looked at him in disbelief.

"That was...quite a win", she smiled and patted his shoulder, not noticing the laughter that Bani and Shiro were trying to contain.

She quickly left the group and exited the arena. Luten caught the sympathetic expression on Shiro's face. Hunk and Bani noticed the exchange between them and covered their mouths as they realized what had happened. They stifled their own chuckles so as to not embarrass the flushed boy.

"C'mon, Luten!" an oblivious Pidge grabbed on to his arm, "you seem to be on a roll. Let's put that luck to good use!"

She dragged him outside and headed to another stall.

"Wait, where's Keith?" Hunk looked around.

"Hmm…", Bani scanned the tent, "I didn't see him when Shiro and Luten joined us. Perhaps, he left around that time."

"Let's get out of here", Shiro began walking. "I need some fresh air."

"You need to win something", Hunk chuckled.

Shiro rolled his eyes and playfully nudged the giggling chef.

* * *

Noor left the tent hastily. She just wanted to get as far away from the group as possible and in her haste, had not paid any attention to where she was going. Several minutes later, she stood outside another tent looking around trying to spot the others.

"Looking for someone?"

She jumped at the sudden voice and nearly tripped over the rope that was behind her.

"Woah, watch it", Keith exclaimed grabbing her wrist just in time.

"Oh...thanks", Noor straightened herself. "I didn't see that. Who leaves a rope in the middle of the…"

"Next…"

They both turned to see a grumpy alien in a green uniform.

He stood in front of them, hands on his hips, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Come on! You're holding the line up. Let's go…"

"Line….", Noor mumbled, "line for what?!"

"Not this again!" Keith groaned.

"What?" Noor looked at him bewildered.

"It's a stupid ride...we should go…", Keith began.

Just then, Noor caught sight of Luten and Pidge walking in their direction and before she knew what she was doing, she grabbed Keith's arm and dragged him inside.

"Ride? I _love_ rides! Let's go."

"Huh?" Keith looked at her as she led them into the tent and pulled him into the car. Within seconds, the ride began and they moved forward through a dark tunnel.

"Oh yeah", she continued feigning excitement. "I just…", her voice trailed off as they came out the other side and she saw ugly robotic creatures sing a dreadful jingle, "...love rides."

Keith rolled his eyes as she looked at him confused.

"I tried to warn you", he grumbled and sat back, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

* * *

" _Clear Day, Clear Day, Clear Day What do we say? Clear Day, Clear Day, Clear Day…."_

"Oh. My. God." Noor whined. "What is this!? I'm going mad!"

"I can't believe I'm going through this ride for the second time in my life", Keith gritted his teeth.

"What? Two times?"

"The last time we were here, Hunk and I got dragged onto this ride."

"Wow, that's really bad luck."

"It was worse than bad luck...not only did we get dragged onto this ride...but we also got stuck in it...because the ride broke down and…"

Just then, the car and the singing slurred to a stop and the robotic creatures froze mid-dance.

"Umm….", Noor whispered, "I think you're luck hasn't changed."

"This is like a recurring nightmare", Keith groaned, "except now, instead of Hunk...it's you!"

"Uhh...OUCH! Wow!" Noor sat up straight and glared at Keith.

"No...I mean...I didn't mean…"

"Relax", Noor giggled. "I'm just messing with you."

Keith scowled and sat back once more. Noor looked around and sighed. She leaned on the railing that locked them into their seats and began counting the creatures.

"So…", Keith broke the silence as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the rod. "Why did you drag us here in the first place?"

"Oh…", Noor curled her lips inwards and racked her brain for a good excuse. "I...I told you...I really like rides."

"Uhuh", Keith turned to her with a smirk on his face. "So you weren't trying to hide?"

"Hide?!"

"You know...from someone?"

Noor exhaled and sat up straight.

"Fine...you got me. I was hiding from Luten."

"I know", Keith shrugged and stared at the creatures.

"Don't you want to know why?"

"I mean...if you want to share...go ahead."

"Never mind", Noor grunted and leaned back into the seat.

Keith turned around and looked at her. She was gazing off into the distance with a frown on her face. He leaned back and rested against the seat as well. Noor's eyes glanced sideways and saw the expectant look on his face as he waited patiently. She huffed and snapped her eyes back into the distance.

"I think he has a crush on me."

"You _think_?"

"Yeah...I mean...I'm not sure…"

"You're blind then."

"What?"

"That stunt he pulled in the arena...you do realize it was for you, right", Keith snapped.

"Alright...so I wasn't sure...don't get annoyed at me!"

"Arrghhh", he groaned, "let's just get out of here, already!"

He stood up and began to push against the railing when he felt her hand on his arm.

"No, wait. You'll break their ride."

"It's _already_ broken!"

Noor saw the annoyed, grumpy expression on his face and began giggling.

"What?"

Her shoulders shook as she doubled down with laughter.

"What! What is it?"

"You're…", she hiccuped as she tried to get words out, "you're being…", she tried catching her breath as she clutched her sides, "you're being such a baby right now!"

"Wha...I AM NOT."

With that Noor burst into laughter again and pointed at his face.

"You should...see your face...it's all...pouty like a child."

Keith's face turned red and he was about to yell again when he noticed the way her eyes wrinkled into two tiny dots as an innocent laugh spread across her face. He exhaled and shook his head, sitting back on the seat once more with a lopsided grin.

"It's not so bad", Noor finally controlled her laughter, "if you want the ride to turn back on, I can help…"

"How?" Keith's head perked up.

Noor's smile turned into a mischievous grin as her hands slowly rose up in front of her.

" _Clear Day, Clear Day, What do we say? Clear Day, Clear Day, Clear Day…."_

She began singing, mimicking the dance and the sound of the ugly robots. Her singing was interspersed with giggles and croaky laughter as she went on, swinging back and forth and side to side with every _'clear day'_.

Keith tried really hard but in the end, gave up. He couldn't control his laughter and let loose as he watched her face transition from one ridiculous expression to the next. Eventually, she couldn't continue the performance and they convulsed in laughter.

Soon, their laughter was drowned by pitchy, squeaky voices all around them. The ride began moving again and they sighed in relief as they saw the exit some distance away.

"Thank the stars!" Noor joined her palms and gestured to the ceiling above.

"Finally!" Keith sighed in relief.

"Sorry I pulled you into this...for a second time", she chuckled softly.

"It's okay. You were right. It's wasn't all that bad."


	20. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team finds more than they bargain for during the visit to the swap moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving back into high gear, I'm going to dive deeper into the plot once more.
> 
> Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and comments!

* * *

"Something's on your mind, isn't it?" Hunk glanced at Noor who was sitting on the kitchen counter as he cooked.

"It's just that...ever since Sepi, I've been feeling...my mood's just...swinging up and down between two extremes..I'm either extremely happy or super irritated and it's making me so…."

"Angry?" Hunk grinned. "I haven't noticed", he smirked.

"Arrghh", Noor groaned, "Relaxing at Clear day helped for a while but...I'm so sick of feeling this way."

"Do you know why…"

"NO IDEA!" Noor's temper flared up.

"Woah, calm down", Hunk lifted his hands in front of him. "It's like your anger is making this room hotter."

"Maybe that's because your sauce is burning", Noor pointed at the stove.

"What?" Hunk looked down, "Wait...how!"

"It's okay, it happens", Noor shrugged. "You were distracted."

"It does NOT happen to Hunk!" he grunted. "I had this on low flame! Anyway...", he took a deep breath and calmed himself, "I shall not get flustered...it's all going to be okay."

He opened one eye and looked at Noor, "See? That giving you any ideas?"

Noor looked at him questioningly.

"Do some deep breathing exercises, calm your mind. Go do some…"

"If you say meditation, I swear I will…", Noor gritted her teeth.

"I was just gonna say go do some...thought...exercises...and…"

Hunk was interrupted, much to his relief, when Bani spoke over the comm.

"We're approaching the swap moon."

"Come on!" an excited Hunk grabbed her hand and dragged her out with him.

Noor sighed and let him lead her, "Fine!"

* * *

Noor stared at all the stores. Games, clothes, 'terra' aka earth stuff, gadgets and gizmos, weird trinkets, pet stores.

"Why would terrorists come to such a place? It's just a mall. I don't see any _we-have-ship-parts-and-weapons store_."

"That's because those are in a hidden part of this place", Pidge whispered, "...the black market."

"You mean like...stolen goods?" Noor looked at her in surprise.

"Yep."

Is that where we are going now?"

"Not all of us. That would be too suspicious. Shiro and me are headed there now, with Bani."

"The rest of us", Hunk interrupted, "can have some fun...and shop!"

"Yay", Keith rolled his eyes and said sarcastically.

"I need to find a food store. We need to restock our herbs and kitchen supplies!"

"I'm going see if they have any medical supplies and...batteries", Luten looked at his watch and frowned.

"Why do you wear a wrist watch?" Noor gave him a perplexed expression. "There's literally no use for it here."

"It's...it's a family heirloom...passed down by my father", he smiled sheepishly.

"Let's meet here at the fountain in an hour", Keith sighed.

"What are you gonna do?" Hunk asked him.

"Just look around to see if anyone has seen anything useful."

"I'll come with you", Noor shrugged and walked behind him.

* * *

"There's a crowd assembling up ahead", Noor pointed after several minutes of walking. "Let's check it out."

"Wait", Keith grabbed her hand as she began strutting ahead. "We should approach with caution."

"Really?" Noor grunted and rolled her eyes. "We're in a mall. You don't always have to behave like a soldier."

Keith was taken aback by the sharpness of her tone. She freed her hand and walked ahead.

" _I'm not...I don't behave like a soldier...always_ ", he muttered to himself in confusion. " _Do I?_ "

When they got closer to the gathered crowd, they heard chants and jeers. It seemed like everyone's attention was focussed on a man and woman at the center of the group. Noor pushed through to get a better look and when Keith caught up, he couldn't find her. He groaned and tried to get through to the front, looking for her.

Noor emerged from under a tall giant's waving arm. She saw the man and woman arguing. They were pulling an item back and forth between them. The dealer looked at both of them in delight as they raised their bid for it with every tug. She noticed the man sneakily pull out a small knife from his robe, ready to attack the unsuspecting woman.

"Wait!" Noor jumped ahead, astonishing the crowd and herself. "He's got a knife!"

Everyone turned to look at her. The woman looked at the man's arm and noticed the weapon. She growled and pulled out her own weapon and they lunged at each other. The pair dropped the object as they continued fighting. Within seconds, chaos broke out and the crowd turned into a mob. Noor felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around ready to attack.

"It's me!" Keith pulled her away from the crowd.

"Wait", she grinned and disappeared for a second.

When she returned, Keith saw an object in her hand.

"What's that?"

"It's what they were fighting over! Just wanted to see what all the fuss was about!" Noor smirked.

"There! She's got it", they heard a voice yell.

They turned to see the man, the woman, and the Unilu dealer run towards them.

"Oh, great!" Keith groaned.

"Run now, lecture later!" Noor dashed through the crowd.

Keith took a long inhale and chased after her. They dodged in and out of the crowd and made their way to a narrow corridor between two stores.

"Follow me!" Noor called out as she went further down the corridor, at the end of which, was an empty store room.

"Let's just wait here for a while", Keith said.

* * *

"It's just a whistle?" Noor looked at the object in disappointment.

She took a deep breath and blew into the whistle. It made no sound.

"It doesn't even work. All this nonsense for nothing", he glared at Noor.

"Sorry...I thought it would be something amazing given how much they were arguing for it."

Keith sighed and peeked outside after a few more minutes, "They seemed to have cleared up the place."

They walked out alert and cautious. To their relief, the crowd had dispersed and they resumed their search. As they turned another corner, Keith pulled Noor into a store.

"What are you doing?"

"I think someone is following us", Keith whispered."Don't look back, just keep walking."

Noor followed him as they made their way in and out of aisles. They walked out the exit on the other side and towards an empty lounge. Noor heard faint footsteps behind them. She steadied her fingers, readying the daggers to jump at a moment's notice. The footsteps grew closer as they walked towards the wide column that separated the lounge from the stores.

As soon as they stepped behind it, Keith stayed at one corner and Noor walked to the other. They waited for the person to get closer and looked at each other. With a nod, they emerged from either side of the column, prepared to accost their stalker. Keith caught the person by his neck and held him firmly as Noor leaped forward and aimed her daggers at his chest.

"Why are you following..." Keith began but stopped when he saw Noor's face.

Noor was frozen. She looked as if she had seen a ghost. He could see her shiver and step back.

"Noor...what happ…"

"Noor?" The person gasped and stopped fighting Keith's hold.

"O...Owaiz?" Noor covered her mouth in disbelief.

"Noor! I knew it was you!"

Keith was caught off guard as the man pushed him away and lunged at her. Keith reached out to pull him back when he heard Noor cry.

"Owaiz! I thought...I thought you were dead...I saw the...I saw the base explode….", she ran forward and clung to the man.

Keith paused and watched in astonishment. He noticed the man had only one arm. The other gripped Noor tight and pulled her close.

"I managed to escape..."

"You...you escaped? How?" Noor stepped back finally releasing him.

"What happened to your eyes!" he gasped. "They're...they're grey!"

"Noor…are you...are you okay…", Keith interrupted and positioned himself in between them, "who is this?"

"Who are _you_?" the man asked trying to shove Keith aside.

"Wait...wait...it's alright", Noor pulled Keith to her side and smiled shakily. "Keith, this is Owaiz. He was one of the prisoners who was left behind at the first base…"

Her voice trailed off as fresh tears slid down her cheek.

"Owaiz...Keith and his team saved me from them...and they tried saving the others but by the time we got to you, it was too late. They had blown the base...and we thought...everyone died."

"I managed to escape!" Owaiz exclaimed and held her hand. "I snuck into one of their ships before they left. I heard them talking...they were going to blow up the entire base. They didn't want to leave behind any...loose ends."

"Did any other prisoners escape?" Noor asked hopefully.

"No, I snuck out as soon as I found the opportunity. I don't know if anyone else…"

"You weren't able to get anyone else out with you?"

"I...I didn't have time to...think", he looked at her with a sad smile. "I just wanted to get to you. I thought they would head to where you were being taken but the ship I was on, came here..."

"You…you didn't try to…"

Suddenly their comms crackled to life.

"Keith...Noor...you there?"

"Yes...", Keith replied. "We're here."

"We need to leave. Meet us at the fountain."

Noor snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Keith.

"We need to head back...that was Shiro", Keith frowned.

"Oh...uhh...yeah…"

"Where are you going, Noor?" Owaiz eyed Keith suspiciously.

"There's no time for all this", Keith muttered impatiently. "Noor...do you trust him?"

Noor nodded but said nothing more.

"Alright. Come with us", he gestured to the man.

* * *

"So what did you guys find?"

"We found the place where the creature went for ship parts, weapons, navigation systems, and even a lot of his lab equipments", Shiro replied.

"The Unilu told you all that for free?" Keith asked in disbelief.

"Not exactly", Pidge grinned. "We had to...swap for it."

"And what did you swap?" Luten asked.

"After a LOT of bargaining, we got him to agree to give us the information in exchange for one of the Olkari cubes, a box of Hunk's universe famous dishes, and Shiro's...I mean Luten's champion badge."

"You forgot one thing", Bani smirked at Pidge.

"Oh yeah", Pidge pouted, "he also took everything I won at Clear day. And one of my video games."

"Doesn't sound too bad…", Luten shrugged.

"It was a VINTAGE Mercury Gameflux One! With the original power helmet that gives you infinite ammo if you stay upside down until all its gems light up!"

"Oh…", Luten gulped and sat down.

"Anyway", Shiro intervened, "The creature came here about five to six months back for the first time. The Unilu saw the vials and was desperate to exchange for them. But the creature said that it had obtained them from a faraway place a few weeks before it got here. It said that even if the Unilu found the place now, they wouldn't be able to find the contents of the vial anymore."

"So the creature stole them."

"Sounds like it", Shiro nodded.

"Wait...it found the vials six months back?" Noor walked over to Shiro.

"Yes. Why?"

"It may be nothing...but...that's around the time I began having the strange dreams and visions back on earth. But that could be a coincidence."

"It's most likely not", Shiro frowned, "When the creature asked for a navig system, it also asked the Unilu about specific planets. Six planets, to be precise."

"Let me guess", Luten pursed his lips, "the same six that the prisoners were from."

"Yep", Pidge nodded. "'The Unilu also provided him with information on uninhabited planets. The ones we found bases on were on that list."

"We should try our luck at some of the others on that list. We can start with the one closest to us. They would likely want to stop somewhere soon to finish their repairs."

* * *

Noor was fiddling with her daggers as she sat in her room. Something in Owaiz's words had bothered her but she didn't want it to. She kept shaking the thoughts off, reasoning with herself.

_It's not as simple as it sounds. Give him another chance to explain._

_Did he not care about the others? Did he just leave them without even trying?_

_No, he would never do that. If he could have done something, he would have._

_But he said he had no time to think. He just wanted to get to me so he ran._

_He must have at least warned the other prisoners._

_Maybe he opened the other cells when he escaped._

_But when Shiro and the others went in, all the prisoners were still locked in._

_Stop thinking! You haven't had a chance to speak with him. He'll explain everything._

"Busy?" A voice startled her and she sent her daggers flying towards it.

"Woah!" Owaiz jumped back as the blades hovered in front of him threateningly.

"Oh...Owaiz...I'm sorry", Noor called them back and tucked the daggers in their strap.

"How did you learn to use those!?"

"I've been...training. How are you feeling?"

"The alien did a routine checkup...everything is A-okay", he grinned.

"Bani…", Noor corrected him. "Her name is Bani. She's an Olkari."

"Oh yeah, sorry. Too many names."

Noor relaxed and smiled. Owaiz walked over and sat by her. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I can't believe you're here...safe", he said. "I thought I'd never see you again...and now that you're in front of me, it's almost like you're a different...your eyes..."

"Uh...Owaiz…", she interrupted him, "I want to know everything. I mean...tell me everything that happened after they took me."

"Well...not much really...I heard two guards talking. They said they were going to blow up the base. I had been fiddling with the cell door for days, remember? I managed to sneak out as they were loading equipment to a ship and got on to the other emptier ship."

"What...what about the other prisoners?"

"Most of them were barely conscious", he sighed.

"Did you...did you see the team coming in?"

"The team?"

"Keith and the others...they were attacking the base at the same time."

"Hmm", he frowned, "I did hear some sounds but I hid...I saw some people take down two guards and run ahead...I didn't wait around...I wanted to get on that ship", he turned to her and held her hand, "I wanted to get to you."

"Were they the same guards who kept watch over us?"

"I think so...I saw the keys on one of them."

"The prison keys?" Noor's eyes opened wide.

"Yeah", he chuckled, "What I would have given to get my hands on those keys before!"

"You could have", Noor hesitated, "You could have gone back and opened the other cells."

Owaiz looked at her and remained silent for a few seconds.

"I didn't know how much time I had Noor. Most of them were not in any condition to escape anyway."

Noor stood up and began pacing. Her mind was racing again.

"Noor, what's the matter?"

"You should have tried", was all she could mutter.

"Noor...are you...why…", he exhaled and stood up, "I was thinking of you. That was my ONLY goal."

Noor felt something in her explode.

"How could you turn your back on people that needed help!?" She yelled. "They could have gotten out in time!"

"I...I…", Owaiz was taken aback by her outburst. "...Noor they were in no condition to be..."

"Neither was I, Owaiz! If these people thought like you, I would not be here today! I would be dead."

Owaiz was at a loss for words. He stepped towards her and held her shoulders.

"Noor...I'm sorry...I wasn't thinking..."

Noor tried to calm herself down. She tried to remind herself that the only reason he had done this was because he wanted to find her. She reasoned that Owaiz was not a soldier or Blade or Paladin. He was just a normal human, trying to survive. But a tiny voice inside her, was saying something else.

"We... _all_ of us are capable of doing something...however small...to help", she whispered more to herself than to him, "If you had just tried...you could have helped them."

"But Noor", Owaiz snapped and gripped her tighter, "...why does it even matter!?"

"Because they were people too, Owaiz!" She pushed his hands off. "They had families. They had a home. They were still ALIVE."

"Those aliens were…"

"Aliens?! What do you mean _aliens_!?"

"Noor, calm down…", Owaiz spoke softly. "I'm sorry...I know I could have done more. You're right."

"I think...I need to be alone for sometime."

* * *

Keith heard the door open and shut. Angry footsteps walked down the corridor and he knew that Noor was livid. He had heard something like yelling coming from her room and felt like he was intruding on something private. He stood up and sat down several times. Hesitant. He looked at Kosmo and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"What do you say?"

Kosmo walked to his side and wagged his tail. Keith reached out to pet him and the next thing he knew, he was in another room. Bewildered, he looked around and saw shelves of tools and supplies. He turned around to leave the storage room, when he heard soft sobs.

He walked past a shelf and saw Noor, in one corner. Once again, he felt like he was intruding on a private moment and he glared at Kosmo. The telepup just walked over to the girl and licked her arm. Noor looked up and smiled at the familiar loving face but then startled as she saw Keith standing behind him.

"Oh…", she hurriedly wiped her cheeks and stood up. "I…"

"Sorry!" Keith froze and mumbled awkwardly. "Kosmo...teleported me here."

Noor remained silent and stared at her feet. Her mind was jumping between trying to find the right thing to say and keeping her composure so as to not burst into tears again.

"Are you okay?" Keith finally spoke.

Noor shook her head.

"Look...I'm not really good at the whole talking thing...but if you need to...you know...talk about stuff...I'm here...we all are here", he added hastily.

"Keith…", she began, "I wanted to ask...when you found me...what was I like...I mean I know I was unconscious...but…was I almost dead?"

"I'm not really sure. I just saw you….and then Shiro came in and we began untying you."

"And then?"

"Uhh...then we brought you back."

"Was I breathing? Did I move when you freed me?"

"Well...you're body kinda fell on top of me", he grinned. "And I didn't fall that time, just for the record."

"Oh…", she smiled sheepishly, "sorry."

"And we didn't really have time to check your vitals", he shrugged. "So I just picked you up while Luten and Shiro lead the other prisoners out."

"How were the others?"

"They were pretty out of it too, but not as bad as you."

"Hmmm…"

"What is it?"

"I just…", Noor paused and then exhaled, "I just wanted to thank you for not leaving me behind."


	21. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor has to make a hard decision and the team follows new leads in their quest for the creature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, I reveal small things as we move through the chapters. The reason behind this is, it's fun seeing messages from readers who are trying piece the logic behind how the two worlds will cross over, for themselves.
> 
> Happy reading and please like, share, comment if you enjoy! It's super encouraging to get feedback and comments.

* * *

Owaiz glanced at the deck below. Noor was taking a break from training and was petting the dog that always followed her around.

"She's down there a lot", Hunk entered the room and stood beside him.

"She used to be a dancer", Owaiz whispered as she began training again. "But she stopped ever since her family died in the attack. I...I've never seen her dance...this is the closest she's come to dancing."

He watched mesmerized as Noor began another round. She moved in graceful, fluid, strong motions, dancing with her daggers as targets kept popping up and moving all around her. She looked like she was in a trance. Like everything else around had melted away as far as she was concerned.

"She seems different somehow...lighter."

"That's a good thing, right", Hunk responded.

"Yeah, I guess", Owaiz sighed and looked at a smiling Hunk.

His attention kept turning back to Noor. Ever since their fight, she had kept her distance. He tried to be patient. He tried to open his mind to this new set of people around her. But he hadn't been able to get rid of the discomfort that sat in the pit of his stomach. The door opened once more and Luten and Pidge walked in.

"I've been looking for you guys. Shiro wants to talk to Owaiz", Pidge joined them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Luten asked as he stood beside Hunk.

He leaned against the railing and saw Noor training below. He frowned and glanced at Owaiz whose eyes were fixed on Noor. Even though Noor seemed to trust him, something about him made Luten uncomfortable. He wasn't able to pinpoint what it was, but he didn't have a good feeling about him.

"We'll reach the planet by tomorrow unless", Pidge paused and looked at Owaiz, "...we need to make a pitstop on the way."

"Pitstop?" Hunk asked confused. "We got everything we needed on the swap moon."

"Yeah, but", she hesitated, "we...they're still discussing...trying to figure out where to drop Owaiz...so he can get back to Earth."

"What?" Owaiz blurted and looked at them with a frown. "What do you mean 'drop me'?"

An awkward silence followed.

"Oh...look at the time…", Hunk broke the silence, "I should really get dinner ready…"

With that, he hurried out of the room leaving behind a baffled Owaiz and an uncomfortable Luten and Pidge.

"I mean...you will be heading to Earth, right?"

"Yes", Owaiz stood up and crossed his arms in front of him, "but not _just_ me. Noor is going back too", he stated matter of factly.

"She is?" Pidge turned and looked at the girl who was still going at it with the sparring bots.

"Yes."

"Did you actually ask her?" Luten snapped.

Owaiz glared at the irritated man.

"Earth is her home", he clenched his jaw, "and I'm sure she wants to…"

"You can't just assume that…", Luten retorted. "She is here for a reason. We are still…"

"Still WHAT?" Owaiz yelled. "Still dragging her all over the universe without a clue?"

"We need to find a way to help undo the effects of the experiments on her before it gets any worse", Pidge hastily intervened. "Until then, it's in her best interest to stay here."

"Effects?" Owaiz furrowed his brows.

"She hasn't told you yet?" Luten raised his eyebrows.

"No..what..what kind of effects? Like her grey eyes?" Owaiz glowered on seeing Luten's smug face.

"I think you should have this conversation with her", Pidge replied. "In the meantime, let's have dinner. It's been a long day. We all just need to get some rest."

Owaiz looked like he was about to say something more but decided not to. Luten turned around and leaned against the railing. Noor had stopped the simulation and was cooling down. She stood by the table and cleaned her daggers.

"Yeah", Owaiz interrupted his thoughts, "we should leave now."

Luten cleared his throat and nodded at Pidge. They left the room and headed for the kitchen. Owaiz decided to wait to speak with Noor. He wanted her to calm down and hoped she would be in a better mood after dinner. He wanted to make sure she was returning back with him.

* * *

Noor felt a little better after her shower. As she entered the kitchen, she saw Owaiz sitting beside Shiro with an empty space next to him. Luten sat on Shiro's other side. Pidge and Hunk sat in their usual place across them. Noor took her spot beside Pidge like always and smiled hesitantly at everyone.

"So...Owaiz was just telling us what he overheard when he stowed away on their ship from Naxzela", Shiro spoke as she served herself.

Noor froze from a brief moment as she remembered their fight.

"They were talking about a tree", Shiro continued.

"A tree?"

"Yeah", Owaiz replied in a measured tone, "...something about how it needs go back there with Noor as soon as possible."

"Oh…", Noor spoke softly and continued playing with her food. "Did it say what kind of tree or what it wanted to do there?"

"The only other thing I heard it say was that was the last piece in its plan and then everything would change. How every wrong would be avenged and how humanity will be saved."

"Didn't you have a vision about a tree?" Keith joined them and took his usual spot beside her.

"Visions?" Owaiz raised an eyebrow at Noor. "Like the ones you had back home?"

Noor stopped tossing her food around and felt a heaviness take over her again. It felt strange hearing the word 'home'. It felt strange being reminded of a place she had once learnt to call home after the death of her parents. A place that was so far away now. Everything from her time on Earth seemed like it had happened in another lifetime. Even though it had only been a few weeks.

She was taken aback when Pidge placed a hand on Noor's leg. She looked down at it and felt its warmth. Reassured, she finally spoke.

"Yeah, but this time I actually remember parts of it when I wake up. I see a tree...sometimes it's huge with many branches and long roots spreading through an ocean of green...and sometimes it's a hollow shell sitting in the middle of nothing."

"Maybe one of them is where the creature wants to go back?" Luten spoke.

"Maybe…", Noor mumbled.

"What else do you remember from these visions?" Owaiz asked impatiently.

Noor looked up at him. She tried to remember their time together on earth. She tried to associate the face she saw now with the face she had found solace in in that dingy hospital as they tended to other victims. They had been the lucky few who escaped the labor camps. She tried to recognize the voice that had ignited a tiny light in the darkness she had been engulfed by. She searched for the man who she had finally let in through a tiny window. To whom she had allowed herself to be connected by a fragile thread.

It frightened her that she found it difficult to find that thread now. She felt a burning sensation in her eyes. Each time she tried envisioning her past with him, the image was replaced by the faces of the scared prisoners he had left behind. Each time she tried reminding herself how she had felt for him, another voice inside her kept asking the same question.

_How could he turn his back on people who needed help._

She felt her heart race, torn between anger, hurt, disappointment, disgust and guilt.

"Noor?" Keith whispered beside her. "You okay?"

"Huh?" She turned to look at him in a daze. "Uhh...yeah. I...I...think I need to go rest. I'm not feeling too good."

She stood up to leave but Owaiz jumped up too.

"I...I'll come along."

Noor decided she didn't want to make a scene in front of everyone and didn't protest. Owaiz walked with her in silence. When they reached her room, she hesitated to meet his gaze.

"Noor...talk to me, please. I know you're angry but we need to...talk about it."

"Yeah, I do want to talk about it. But I just...I just don't know what to say."

"I know everything is overwhelming right now. So much has happened so fast. But I know it will all be alright once we go back home. Pidge said that they can arrange for us to return tomorrow."

"What?" Noor looked at him in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"Going back to Earth", he smiled and held her hand. "We can put all this behind us."

"But...Owaiz...we've still not found the creature...we don't know what his plan is."

"Leave that to these people. They know what they are doing."

"But...we need to stop him before he hurts any more people."

"This is what they have trained for...it's their job. We're not like them. We lead simple lives. Just us, our home, the hospital, the patients. They need us."

"Owaiz", Noor took in a deep breath, "there's something you should know."

Noor told him everything that had happened since her rescue. Her capture on Ures, her time with the creature, what happened on Sepi, what she remembered from the experiments, her visions, the change in her signature and biorhythms, the healing. With every new bit of information, Owaiz's eyes grew wider. Ultimately, he gasped and leaned back against the wall in the corridor.

"When Pidge said 'the effects', I assumed it was something like side effects of a medicine. But this...this doesn't even...make any sense…"

"Believe me", Noor leaned back against the wall beside him, "I know how crazy this sounds. I'm still digesting it."

"Noor", he turned to face her and squeezed her hand, "I...I don't think it's a good idea for you stay here and chase them. You're just putting yourself at risk. What if he catches you and does more experiments to finish whatever it was he started?"

"If I go back, he's going to hunt me down all the way to Earth. And we'll be defenseless then."

"But it may just give up on you and look for another person. It did, after all, use many people for the experiments. It could do it all again and find someone else to…"

"To what?" Noor snapped and pulled her hand back.

She stepped away and glared at him, shocked and livid.

"Go on", she spat out, "finish that sentence. Find someone else to do what?"

Owaiz remained silent.

"And even if they did find someone else to TORTURE", she continued angrily, "and they _somehow_ survived the experiments like me...what do you think will happen then, huh?!"

"Then…", she went on, "it would finally get what it wants. A weapon. And then we may not be able to stop it from accomplishing whatever it is, it set out to do."

"But from what you all told me", Owaiz finally whispered, "it seems like he wants to take out all the threats to humanity…maybe he...wouldn't hurt Earth..."

"What are you…", Noor gasped in disbelief, "...are you...can you hear yourself right now?"

"I'm just trying to understand…maybe he isn't as big a threat to us as you all think..."

"And what about the rest of the universe? And what about me!? I don't want to walk around like a ticking time bomb, waiting for the next thing that could trigger me and make me lose control like I did on Sepi! I destroyed all of them and _literally_ transformed a desert planet to an ice planet."

"But you did that because Pidge's life was in danger...you didn't do that for any evil…"

"I can't believe you're not able to see the dangers of this situation!" Noor groaned in frustration. "We don't know enough to be sure of that...or of anything else! We have to find them and stop the destruction that they could unleash on the universe."

"I can't believe you're willing to throw away your life….OUR LIFE...for something you know nothing about! You could just leave this to the people whose job it is to handle such threats and if they need you, they can come and get you then!"

"I WILL NOT LET ANY OTHER INNOCENT PERSON DIE FOR A MEANINGLESS WAR. NO ONE SHOULD SUFFER THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE BECAUSE OF A PSYCHOPATH THAT THINKS HIS HATE IS JUSTIFIED."

Noor was shaking as she tried to catch her breath after the outburst. Owaiz looked at her alarmed and angry. They glared at each other for several seconds and finally, Owaiz's face softened and he dropped his shoulders.

"You're...you're right…", he whispered.

Noor took deep breaths and it took all her effort to calm herself down.

"I'm staying too", he continued.

"No", she muttered decisively.

"No?" Owaiz looked at her in shock. "Why?! Do you not want me here?"

"That's not it."

"Is it because of that man...Luten?"

Noor's eyes widened in astonishment.

"What do you mean?" She stepped forward and steeled her voice.

"He seems to...have a thing for you."

"Even if he does, so what?"

"Do you…"

"Are you fucking kidding me...do you really think that I am staying back on a spaceship, chasing a crazy mutant all over the universe, risking my life...because...because of a boy!? What is wrong with you!"

"Then...why...", he sighed, "I just don't understand."

"Yes...you don't", Noor said dejectedly.

"Noor...we finally found each other again. And now...you just...feel like a stranger to me."

"You are beginning to feel like a stranger to me too", Noor whispered and quietly walked into her room and shut the door behind her.

* * *

Once again, Noor didn't get any sleep. Kosmo stayed by her side as she tossed and turned. Everything hurt. Her body, her head, her heart. She ached for her mother and father that night. She cried into her pillow and called out to them. She wanted time to rewind and take her back to when they were alive. When she was happy with them. When she knew things with certainty and clarity. When she knew what her life was, what she was doing, and where she was headed.

She hugged Kosmo and wept. Hours passed by and her tears didn't subside. She sat up when she couldn't take it anymore. She was finding it difficult to breathe, a sharp pain was clutching at her chest, her heartbeat and sobs were echoing in her head, her thoughts were racing just as fast as everything around her seemed to slow down. She felt herself descend into the familiar void of panic.

She clambered off the bed and walked out of her room, unsteady and disoriented. She used the wall for support and made her way to Shiro's room. She didn't know what or why she was doing any of this; all she knew was she needed to talk to Shiro. She rubbed her chest and knocked on his door. After several seconds, the door opened.

"Noor...what are you…", Shiro paused mid sentence and froze when he saw the condition Noor was in.

"Noor! What's wrong! You look…", he led her in hurriedly and seated her on his bed. "What...are you…"

Noor's tears fell freely and her breathing grew shallower as she clawed at her chest.

"Noor, listen to me", he knelt beside her, "Just breathe...follow me...look…", Shiro moved his hand up and down as he took deep breaths in and out.

Noor clutched the bed sheet and gulped.

"You can do it, just breathe with me. Like this...", he went on inhaling and exhaling and slowly Noor followed his lead.

She choked and coughed and gasped as she tried to draw air into her lungs. But every time she tried, nothing made it all the way down. She would lose control and the air would just vanish, leaving her as breathless and suffocated as before. She had been here before. But it didn't make it any easier. She was terrified. Each time, it felt like she was dying. She could feel herself imploding.

"It's alright, Noor. Don't think about anything else. Just breathe", he held her hands and squeezed them.

Noor closed her eyes and tried to ground herself in his touch. She took in a few breaths and slowly, felt some of them successfully fill her body. After a few more, she opened her eyes and loosened her grip on Shiro's hands.

"That's better...all you have to do is breathe. Nothing else matters right now."

Noor's body loosened up slowly. She dropped her shoulders, unclenched her fist, uncurled her toes, and relaxed her back. She trembled as she felt herself float up and out of the void and the panic recede like a dark wave in a darker night.

"You're fine", Shiro rubbed the back of her hand and smiled.

Noor nodded meekly and let out a deep breath.

"Where did...you learn that?" Noor finally whispered hoarsely.

"Curtis...my husband used to do this whenever I had a panic attack...it was frequent right after the war but slowly, it stopped", Shiro sighed and sat beside her on the bed.

"Well, thank him on my behalf."

"I will", he grinned.

"And thank you", she smiled back, "I should...I should go…"

"Come on", he stood up, "I'll walk you to your room."

* * *

"We'll reach in an hour", Bani spoke.

"And what about the coalition ship?"

"Uhh…", Bani looked at the others hesitantly.

Her eyes rested on Owaiz and Noor but she continued.

""The closest ship can meet us on the planet soon."

"What ship?" Hunk asked.

"The Coalition has offered to escort Owaiz back to Earth", Shiro spoke evenly.

For a few seconds no one said anything. Keith glanced at Noor who was sitting at the other end of the lounge lost in her own thoughts.

"I'll get my stuff ready", Owaiz stood up and left the room.

Everyone looked at each other uneasily. Eventually, Pidge walked over to Shiro.

"What happened last night?"

"Noor decided it was best that Owaiz return to Earth and she would stay."

* * *

Owaiz saw the Coalition craft as he walked out the hatch. It was a small barren planet. He looked back and sighed when he didn't see Noor.

"Take care, buddy", Hunk stepped forward and gave him a gentle hug. "I hope you have a safe journey back."

Owaiz nodded at the others. As he began walking towards the craft, he heard footsteps approaching him. He turned out and saw Noor walking to him.

"Noor!" He smiled hopefully.

Noor stopped in front of him and hesitated. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you for everything", she whispered.

As she pulled back, she managed to smile at him. She watched him nod slowly and walk away. She wrapped her arms around herself and held her head up, refusing to feel guilty. She knew she had done the right thing. This was for the best. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulder. She saw a smiling Hunk pull her closer and gently pat her arm. They watched the craft take off and disappear into the sky.

"We'll be leaving soon, too. Doesn't look like the terrorists were here."

"Alright", she nodded.

"How're you holding up?" Hunk asked softly.

"I'll be fine", she sighed and leaned against his arm.


	22. Planet Aagi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team arrives at the next planet on the list to continue their search.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So excited for the next few chapters and your thoughts on them! Picking up the pace a bit and hopefully, y'all find it as exciting as I do!
> 
> Side note: There's a slight hint in the name of this planet. It's a derivative of a hindi word, the meaning of which is a clue to what's about to come!

* * *

""What's going on down there?" Keith frowned as they circled planet Aagi.

Pidge had picked up the terrorist's energy signatures as they approached the next planet on the list. The planet had been labelled as uninhabited but they had found another base. What they had not expected was the abandoned settlement in close proximity to the base.

"It seems like it was once a small town", Bani scanned the images for signs of life.

"We had no idea", Keith turned to Shiro. "Who could have occupied…"

"More importantly", Luten interrupted, "what if we find the creature here. What's the plan?"

"We'll have to improvise", Shiro sighed. "Bani has modified the memory serum. If we can capture it and hack into its consciousness with the new formula, we may be able to push through its defenses."

"The last time it was tried on the scientist creature at Olkarion", Bani leaned forward, "they could barely get steady brainwaves. It's like he has protective walls all around his memories."

"He meditates a lot", Noor added. "His will power and mental strength would be rock solid."

"I took that into account this time", Bani replied. "I've strengthened the serum using additional extracts from rare elements we synthesize ourselves. They could help trigger his waves making it easier to access the memories through their movement in the neurons."

"We can't afford to fail this time", Keith spoke with determination.

"No use waiting around", Noor stood up. "Let's go."

* * *

They walked through the empty buildings. There was silence all around. The base, as expected, was empty. Finally, Noor sat down on a bench in frustration. She thought through everything she had seen and heard when the creature had recaptured her. She thought back on its words over and over again. But no matter how much she combed through them, she wasn't able to unearth any clues to help them further.

They had been stuck at a dead end ever since it escaped the Olkaship. She still hadn't been able to repeat the water stunt she had pulled off on Sepi. Her visions had been pretty much the same. The only new addition to them was red. Just like the blue, she saw herself falling through red. As mesmerizing and soothing as the blue had been, the new red was terrifying and thrilling.

Suddenly, she heard a buzzing. She sat up straight and looked around. Everyone seemed to be going about the search unbothered. She bent forward once more as the buzzing sound dissipated. A few seconds later, she heard it again. This time, it felt like a soft thudding. She stood up and shook her shirt to air her body and wiped the perspiration off her skin.

She walked towards a giant courtyard that looked like it had once been a marketplace. The space was surrounded by small buildings with similar doors and windows and hatches in the front leading down to what she assumed were basements.

She walked to one of the buildings and peeked in through the dusty windows. She bent down and tried to open the hatch door. It was stiff and she had to tug several times before it snapped open and sent her falling back. She dusted herself off and peered down. Stairs went down into a dingy basement. She heard the buzzing sound once more and frowned.

She looked back and saw the team spread out. Pidge and Bani sat at a shop with their equipment around them, measuring, scanning, exploring with the bots. Keith and Shiro were entering a large building. Luten was further away along with Hunk. Noor pursed her lips and gazed down the basement again.

She walked down a few steps and bit her lips. It was darker than it had seemed from above. And she hated the dark. She braced herself and cleared her throat. As she went in, the heat grew worse. When she reached the bottom, she felt equally disappointed and relieved to find an empty dusty basement. But it felt like there were flames all around, making it unbearably hot. She grunted and made her way back up.

She walked around the courtyard and inspected all the buildings. It was beginning to look hopeless when she felt a heat wave hit her. She gasped as she suffocated in the dense hot air that seemed to have suddenly surrounded her. She ran ahead in an attempt to force a breeze around her and lighten the sickening heaviness.

Just then, a loud sound erupted behind her and she spun around just in time to see one of the hatch doors explode several feet into the air.

"Pidge! Shiro!" She spoke quickly into the comm. "Something's going on here."

"Are you okay?", Luten replied, "Headed your way."

"I can't see anything but one of the doors just blast open and there's some kind of…"

Before she could finish her sentence, people emerged from the hatch. And soon, the other hatches opened up sending forth more of them. Noor watched in shock as armed guards rushed out. She scrambled to her feet and prepared her daggers and shield.

"Guys…", she yelled, "I see them now. Lots of them."

"Fall back, Noor", Keith's voice ordered.

Noor began retreating as the silent army advanced towards her. She sent her daggers whizzing ahead and struck them one by one as fast as she could. There were too many. As they began firing at her, she fixed her shield on her back and ran as fast as she could towards the team, who were now making their way to her, ready to attack.

"So...what's the plan now?" She muttered. "Still improvising?" She took position beside Keith.

"All of you need to keep them distracted", he replied. "Shiro and me will make our way to the hatches they came from. The creature has to be close by."

Everyone nodded and charged ahead. As they spread out to thin the onslaught, Keith and Shiro made their way straight through the herd. Within seconds, Noor and the others were surrounded on all sides.

"I don't know how long we can keep this up!" Pidge grunted.

"I have an idea", Luten yelled into the comm. "There's an open ground behind. Let's lead them away from here. We won't be so cornered in the wide open space."

The team ran back, still shooting at the guards. As expected, the horde followed them mindlessly. Once in the open space, they continued engaging them.

"Keith? Shiro?" Luten muttered into the comm. "We're beginning to get overwhelmed here."

Silence.

"Did you guys find anything?" Noor prodded.

There was no response except some faint crackling. But even that was immediately muted by a deafening sound that stung their ears. They whirled around and saw several pods racing towards them. They were sandwiched between the approaching pods and numerous guards.

"Okay", Noor huffed, "this just went from bad to worse."

"We have to find higher ground", Hunk called out. "Let's move."

Hunk and Luten gave the others cover fire as they jumped and sought shelter in the boulders and outcroppings ahead.

"Keith!? Shiro?" Pidge repeated frantically.

Suddenly there were flashes all around them.

"Seriously!?" Noor screamed. "Bombs?! Is it too much to ask for a second's break so we can get our shit together?"

"I got this", Hunk announced.

They watched in awe as his gun transformed into a huge missile launcher. He sent three shots to the pods and managed to take out several. But soon, through the smoke and flames, they saw more advance.

"There are too many of them!" Luten groaned.

"Where the hell are Shiro and Keith?" Noor mumbled.

* * *

Shiro and Keith made their way through the maze like hallways. The basements were all connected underground. They had snuck in when the army chased down the rest of the team. To their disappointment, their hunt had so far yielded nothing.

They were about to turn back when they heard shuffling sounds. They darted forwards toward the source and kicked down a door only to see two guards disappearing up the stairs. Keith glanced at a ticking sound and his eyes flew wide open.

"Shiro! It's a bomb. We need to get out of here…."

They dashed up the stairs just in time. As they emerged from the hatch, the bomb went off and they saw an explosion shatter the windows and doors. But to their surprise, the explosion made no sound. There was just an unsettling silence.

"I think somehow they jammed our comms!" Keith tapped his helmet in frustration.

They heard a soft metallic clanging. Hurtling towards them on the ground, were two spheres. They clicked open and blinking lights fluttered inside. Shiro rushed forward and kicked them away and they watched in shock as the spheres exploded mid air, silently.

"How many bombs are there!?"

"Come on, let's get to the others", Shiro ran ahead. "They're going to stop at nothing to get Noor."

* * *

"There! I see them", Noor yelled as she saw two figured running towards them.

Two pods separated from the rest and zoomed towards Shiro and Keith. She heard a shriek beside her and saw whip-like projections wrap themselves around Bani and Luten. Before they had time to respond, they were dragged down towards the guards. Pidge leapt forward and slashed at them with her light whips but was caught off guard and entangled in another net.

Hunk and Noor looked at each other and nodded. Hunk gave cover fire as Noor rushed forward and grabbed Pidge's arm. She sent her daggers ahead and slashed the guard wielding the net. They struggled to set Pidge free but were distracted by a bright flash ahead. They looked up and saw bombs being thrown by the two pods towards Shiro and Keith who were evading and dodging them.

"Silent bombs? What the fu…", Noor grunted.

In her momentary distraction, the guard yanked hard and Noor and Pidge went flying down and landed in the middle of the herd. Noor jumped up and launched her daggers and herself at the guard. She struck him down, breaking his control on the net. Pidge squirmed her way out and fought off the other guards attacking Bani and Luten.

Noor fought hard. She punched, kicked, slashed, impaled, fell, ran, bled. It seemed never ending. She couldn't tell if seconds, minutes, or hours had passed them by. She could feel the fatigue set in. And just as she was about to give in to the exhaustion, she saw something from the corner of her eye.

She saw the pods zoom away from Shiro and Keith. And she saw a storm explode. A storm of flames, light, dust, and smoke. She saw two bodies being thrown up in the air and then collapse to the ground. And they didn't move after that.

She screamed as she tried to run towards them. She was caught by a guard and yanked off the ground. She struggled to break free but to no avail. She grew frustrated, unable to move, unable to rescue Shiro and Keith, stuck and held down helplessly.

She could feel the rage spread through her. And then everything went red.


	23. Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor gives into her rage and despair as her team is overpowered by the terrorists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again! Enjoy! Comments and feedback eagerly awaited!

* * *

Noor yelled and broke free from the guard's grasp with one violent push of her arms. She lodged her daggers straight into his eyes and then, took a step forward pushing her arms out on either side. An invisible heat wave burst forth and knocked everyone to the ground. The next wave, sparkled silver, yellow, then orange as it made its way out. They felt their skin burn as the temperature soared all around them.

The third time she pushed her arms out, bright orange flares emanated from her fists. The raging flame leapt forward at the unsuspecting victims. Luten, Bani and Pidge dove for cover behind the boulders. Hunk held his shield up and tried to make his way towards Noor but the heat was too much.

The guards cowered to the ground in vain attempts to escape the fire. They scorched and yelled, writhing and rolling about, trying to extinguish the flames that engulfed them. Noor clawed at the air, each time sending out fresh fire blasts, knocking the soldiers out one by one. She dropped to the ground, swiping her feet over the dusty surface.

Deadly fire whips leapt out from her feet and burnt the fallen bodies and the feet of the guards that were still standing. She held her hands down and with two powerful fire jets from her fist, jumped up into the air. She propelled herself towards Shiro and Keith who lay motionless on the ground, shooting fire at the pods that unleashed a volley of blasts at her.

She landed on the ground once more and raised her hands up. A wall of fire surrounded her, acting as a shield. A few seconds later, the wall had grown into a large tsunami of red. She grunted and pushed it outwards. The red wave sped out and crashed onto the pods surrounding her. She made her way through the flames and smoke and ran ahead.

"Umm…", Luten mumbled. "What the HELL was that?!"

"It looks like…", Pidge fumbled as she emerged from behind the boulder and stood behind an astounded Luten and Bani. "...like she is...producing fire?"

"Woah", Hunk gasped.

"First water...now fire…", Bani frowned. "She has been given a power that allows her to connect to both elements somehow..."

"The vials! They must have something in them…like quintessence...that allows for…", Pidge exclaimed.

"Can we science later and go stop her before she destroys another planet!" Luten groaned and ran ahead.

"Yeah", Pidge nodded and followed him. "Good idea."

They made their way to the girl who was running towards Shiro and Keith. They tried taking out the pods that were approaching her but before they could land a single shot, she had taken most of them out with a gigantic wall of fire, much like the wave that she had brought down on all of them at Sepi.

"Someone needs to snap her out of this!" Luten screamed.

"On it!" Hunk raced ahead.

They watched as Hunk neared Noor.

"Noor!" Hunk called out. "You need to calm…"

Noor snapped her head in his direction. He felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the fire in her eyes. She had a terrifying expression on her face. It was pure rage. She almost looked bloodthirsty.

Without hesitation, Noor threw a volley of fire shots at Hunk and kept moving ahead. There were a few more pods near Shiro and Keith that began firing at her. She stopped by the unconscious bodies and stared at the pods. Her breathing was shallow, she was panting and her shoulders were heaving. Her entire body was trembling.

"Noor...you need to stop…", Luten rushed forward.

He tried to get close enough to touch her. Noor grunted and with a swipe of her hand, pushed him to one side. The sheer power she exerted, sent Luten flying to the ground. His skin tingled and was burnt where she had made contact.

"Noor! Look around...it's us…", Pidge screamed.

Before any of them could get through to her, Noor had unleashed her fury at the pods. Burning beams shot out of her finger tips and gave the pods no time to respond or evade.

A thundering sound ripped through the sky and a ship descended from above them. It was the creature. The terrorist's ship fired at all of them endlessly. The team held their shields up helplessly. The rounds were too long and frequent, giving them no chance to shoot back. Hunk rushed towards Noor to shield her but then, all her rage broke free.

* * *

Keith groaned as he felt the heat around him. He choked on the dust that seemed to be lodged in his throat. He clutched his chest as the pain began to make its presence felt. His eyes flickered open slowly only to be shut tight with a painful groan. Everywhere around him were bright lights and hot air.

He turned to his side and looked around for Shiro. He startled when he saw Shiro's unconscious form a few feet away from him. He managed to lift his body up on his elbow and crawl towards him. Just then he heard a frantic scream.

"Noor! Look around...it's us…", Pidge screamed.

At the same time, a louder rumble ripped through the sky and he saw a ship descend. Before he could make sense of what was happening, he saw a flash of orange speed through the air towards the ship. Again and again and the again.

He shielded himself and Shiro as his eyes searched for the source of the blasts through the smoke and ash. He felt his heart freeze when he saw her. A frightening figure loomed some distance from them. She was kicking, punching, swiping, spinning, jumping as she dodged all the ship's beams and sent larger angrier fiercer blasts in return.

Somewhere beyond her, there were voices calling out. Trying to break through the spell she seemed to be possessed by. But nothing got through to her. Nothing seemed to affect her. He saw her rush forward and send a wave towards the ship. The ship retaliated by sending one final powerful red blast her way.

Noor slid one foot back and grounded herself in a squatting stance. She sent an equally powerful fire blast at the beam that split it into two straight through the middle. Unknowingly, Noor had stood between Shiro and Keith and the ship and sent the destructive beams towards the rest of the team and the still burning pods.

He heard the screams and grunts as they jumped aside trying to shield themselves and find cover. The pods finally gave in and exploded, sending shards of metal flying in all directions. Keith winced with the effort it took to hold his shield steady against the onslaught of burning debris.

"Noor!"

He coughed and sputtered. Dust and ash were all around. Keith watched as she continued spewing fire. She had destroyed all the soldiers and pods. But she had also set everything else ablaze.

His eyes burnt as he made his way towards her. What had started as powerful gusts of fire aimed at the ship, had now turned into a chaotic maelstrom of haphazard bursts and jets that lunged at everything.

"Noor!" He yelled over the loud blasts.

He took in a deep breath and continued limping towards the girl. She was surrounded by flames. He clicked his helmet shut and gritted his teeth as he walked in. He could hear the others calling him away but he had to try.

"Noor...Noor...stop! Snap out of it!"

* * *

Noor saw red. Everywhere. She had once let go accidentally. Surrendered herself to the being inside her without even knowing it. Let it take over her body. And now, she had done it again. But this time, she knew she was giving in and willingly let it take over her.

She had seen them fall. She had seen the beams slash across Keith's chest. Her anger rose from her heart to her head and spilled out into the air around her. She felt her boiling blood rush out her fingertips and burn everything in its path. It was unbelievable, the power she felt coursing through her veins.

After a point, she couldn't tell what was what. What was real and what was just in her mind. She wanted to burn everything to the ground. She wanted everything to be still and silent. As still and silent as Shiro and Keith were. She could still hear voices. She willed them away. She didn't want anyone to come close. She wanted everyone to run away. Escape.

She thought she heard his voice. She looked around and saw nothing but ash and dust. She heard it again. She shook her head violently and screamed once more.

"Get away from here!"

She circled herself with fire and began running towards the ship. She would end this once and for all. She wanted the creature. And she would do anything to get him. She was hungry for his blood.

"Noor...Noor...stop! Snap out of it!"

She spun around ready to end another life.

"Noor….you need to calm down!" Keith stood behind her, terrified but determined.

"You're...you're alive?" Noor stood still and all at once, the flames disappeared.

Keith paused, taken aback by the bloodthirsty anger on her face that quickly transformed into a confused almost innocent expression, but then regained his composure.

"Yes..."

Noor heard a sound. She turned around a second too late as the ship sent a beam straight at them.

"Go back! Get everyone away!" She rushed ahead.

But she couldn't conjure the fire any more. Her rage was no longer boiling her blood. She had felt instant relief when she saw Keith standing in front of her. Alive, breathing, talking. And just like that, the red had receded. The beam hit her, searing her skin, piercing her arm. She screamed in pain and fell forward.

She felt the trigger again and this time, it was bigger. The pin of the bomb inside her had been pulled. With a growl she stood up once more and thrust herself up on a fire jet. She formed an ever growing sphere of fire around her.

Keith watched in shock and awe as Noor seemed to morph into a blazing comet, tearing through the air towards the ship. The fire around her roared as loud as her as she expanded the sphere, raised it over her head and launched it forward.

Just as it was about to make contact with the hatch and the now frantic creature that stood there, the ship vanished.

"It can cloak now! Or was that teleporting?" Pidge gasped as they watched the ship disappear into thin air, literally.

"Noor can do turn into a fireball now!?" Luten gasped beside her.


	24. Extinguished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conflicted Noor crumbles under the burden of yet another destructive power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaahh! Eeeeep! I can't stop, just going to post a few more even though I wanted to space them out over the span of a week!
> 
> I can only hope there are people out there who are trudging alongside me on this journey, reading the chapters, understanding what's going on, maybe even jumping with anticipation and excitement as the story progresses. Hehe.

* * *

Keith walked to Noor who was now on her knees, hunched forward, panting and shaking.

"Noor", he hesitated as he approached her.

"Stop", she whispered hoarsely.

"Are you alright?"

"Go back to the Olkaship. You...you _both_ need to treat those wounds immediately", she stood up.

Noor barely managed to hold herself up. She felt dizziness overtaking all her senses. It felt as if all her blood had drained out in the form of fire.

"Hey...look at me."

Noor slowly looked up and tears flowed down her cheeks.

"You're alive", she began reaching out for him but stopped.

"We're _all_ fine…", he reached out to the girl but Noor stepped back.

"Don't...you might get burnt."

"No, I won't."

He stepped forward once again and held his hand out.

Noor was shaking. She looked around and saw everyone. They were all standing. Injured but standing.

"They're alright", he stepped closer.

Noor looked at his blood stained suit. He clutched his chest with the other hand.

"Noor…we're not leaving without you."

He winced as pain tore through his chest. Noor rushed forward and helped him steady himself. He grasped her hand firmly and led her to the team. Everyone came rushing forward to help them but Keith shook his head.

They went into the Olkaship silently. As the hatch slowly shut close, Noor looked over her shoulder at the destruction she had unleashed on the town. A shiver ran down her spine. She felt a squeeze on her hand and turned back to see Keith looking at her. She took a deep breath and followed him in.

Once inside, Bani led Keith to the infirmary, followed by Luten who carried Shiro. Noor went straight to her room.

"No", she whispered as she turned to see Hunk follow her. "And please keep Kosmo out."

* * *

Keith frowned as he sat in the infirmary. Bani had patched him up and even though it was a severe wound, he couldn't care less. He kept seeing her face. Her terrifying yet terrified face.

_You're alive._

Her words rang in his ears. He exhaled and stood up, determined to go see her.

"No", Hunk stopped him as he stepped into the corridor, "She's...she wants to be alone."

"I need to talk to her."

"I don't think this is the right time. She doesn't even want Kosmo in there with her."

Keith paused in surprise. He looked at the dog that sat wistfully outside her door.

"All the more reason for someone to go in there", he clenched his jaw.

"Give her time."

* * *

Noor wanted to go check on him. She wanted to see how the others were doing. But she didn't move. She couldn't move. She wasn't ready to see the burns and ash on them, scars that were her doing. She knew what she had to do.

Later that night, she peeked out of her room. Much to her relief, no one was there. She heard straight for the pool. Once there, she paced back and forth hoping the cool water would extinguish the embers of the fire that still lurked inside her. She could feel it.

She paused and looked at her hands. Unlike Sepi, she could remember the events with clarity. As she blocked everything else out and focussed on her heartbeat, on her breathing, on the tingling sensation in her palm, she thought she saw sparks. She concentrated harder and it seemed like the spark was turning orange. But nothing happened. She collapsed to the ground in frustration.

" _I can't go on like this_ ", she whispered as she pulled her knees closer and rested her chin on them.

"Noor…" she heard a soft voice behind her.

She shut her eyes and cursed herself for leaving her room, wishing she could teleport herself away. She felt the person stand behind her. Her eyes remained fixed on the water. She was not prepared to face him yet. She heard him wince in pain as he sat down beside her.

She exhaled and lifted her arms up to support him. As their eyes met she felt her composure falter. Keith sat down with her help and saw her eyes flicker with many emotions. Her hands had not left his arm as he adjusted himself by her side. She was looking at his chest. She closed her eyes and returned her gaze to the water.

Neither said anything as seconds, maybe minutes, passed them by. Keith glanced at her every few seconds, unsure and awkward. There was so much he wanted to say and do, but he couldn't get himself to say or do any of those things. Noor began to stand up but felt a hand on her shoulder stop her.

"Wait…please..."

Noor settled down again and stared at the water.

"Don't shut everyone out."

"I could have killed them."

"But you didn't."

"Only because you...", she felt her heart race and sat silently once more.

"It's not your fault. It's _their_ fault. The shadows. The terrorist. The experiments", Keith's voice grew angrier with every word.

She remained silent.

"But that's why we're all here together. I won't...we won't give up."

Noor looked at him. There was no hope in her eyes. Just a numb resignation.

"Noor", he turned his body towards her, "...you can't give up. You were just trying to protect us back there."

"I thought you were dead."

"Huh?"

"I saw you both go down…after the explosion...and then you got hit in the chest", tears began sliding down her cheek as she placed her hand on his bandaged chest.

She looked at him her hand still pressed against his chest. Keith was taken aback by her touch and followed her eyes. It felt strange seeing her small hand on his chest. He turned gaze back on her. He was relieved to see some emotion return to her eyes.

"It was like Sepi all over again. If I surrender to it…I can destroy everything...and I did surrender...this time, willingly", she pulled her hand back. "I can't control it."

"It's difficult to accept, I know", he finally managed to mumble, "but that doesn't make you bad. Your going to figure out how to control this power. We _will_ stop the creature. You will _not_ be a weapon. I _won't_ let that happen."

"It's too late, Keith. I'm _already_ a weapon. I'm a ticking bomb. And next time, I'm not sure you or anyone will be able to get through to me."

Her face had gone blank again and she stood up and left.

"Noor...pleas…"

"Goodnight Keith."

* * *

Keith found Hunk in the cafeteria the next morning.

"Is Noor up yet?"

"I don't think so….but let her sleep. I'll take breakfast to her later", Hunk replied.

"How's Shiro" Pidge joined them.

"He's resting too. But he's better."

The table was silent and the usual chatter was absent. Keith stared at the muffins in the basket. There were two left and he didn't have the heart to eat his share. He grew restless with every passing minute.

"That's it", he jumped up and put some food and the muffins on a plate. "It's been long enough."

He left the kitchen and headed for Noor's room. He stood outside her door, where Kosmo still lay, and took a deep breath.

"Noor", he knocked softly.

There was no response.

"You should eat something…"

Silence.

"Everyone is worried", he leaned against the door and sighed.

He waited for several seconds and then rested his forehead against the door.

"Noor, please let me in."

"Keith!" Hunk ran towards him.

Keith was startled at the sudden intrusion and jerked back up, straightening his posture.

"Noor…I don't think she is…the po...the pod…", Hunk looked flustered.

"Spit it out, Hunk!" Keith rolled his eyes.

"A pod...is missing."

* * *

"Where is it?!" Keith's rushed into the control room. "Where's the pod right now?"

"There's a tracker on board. We're setting course now", Bani replied.

"Where could she be going…", Pidge wondered.

"Wherever it is", Keith muttered get us there now."

"Wait...what...this can't be…", Bani exclaimed.

"What?" Luten frowned.

"This is strange...she's gone…"

"Gone?"

"I can't track the pod anymore."

"What do you mean? Is it cloaked? I thought we could still track them even when they're…"

"Hmm...this is weird", Pidge walked over to the screen and recalibrated the receivers. "It's like...it's like the pod doesn't exist. She just vanished."


	25. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the team tries to find Noor, she finds herself in an extraordinary situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over the next four chapters or so, all shall be revealed as the main plot unfolds!
> 
> Thanks to all the readers and viewers! Looking forward to more comments!

* * *

"Great!" Noor groaned. "You're lost!"

She leaned back and dragged her hands down her face. It had been a spontaneous decision. After leaving Keith at the pool, she had gone back to her room. But the more she tried to shut her mind off and sleep, the more it narrowed in on one single thought.

"That's what you get for being spontaneous! What were you thinking!?" She pursed her lips and closed her eyes.

"What do you plan to do once you find whatever it is you're hoping to find?!:

"What makes you sure you'll even find something?"

"Mom was right! You never think these things through!"

But despite this rant against herself, deep inside something told Noor that this was the right thing to do. She needed to leave. She didn't know how she would escape, where she would go, how she would find her way around, or even if she would be able to start the pod.

But it had to be done. She could not risk any more lives. She could not risk another incident. And she couldn't wait around for them to find the creature and try to get answers from him. Until now, it had all worked out.

She had managed to pilot the pod alone. She had tried her best to navigate the way she had seen Bani do. She had cloaked the pod, hoping they wouldn't be able to track her. But now, she was floating about cluelessly.

"Okay...come on. Think!" She muttered to herself.

She sat once more and racked her brain. If she had read the charts correctly, there was enough distance between her and the ship. She hadn't stopped all night. Her heart ached for her friends. The moment she had flown out of the ship, she had felt terror grip her. Almost instantly, she was tempted to turn back around.

A few minutes later, there was nothing around her. No Olkaship. No planets. Nothing. Just faint twinkling in the distance, like mirages. And the endless expanse in all directions. She realized then, what it felt like to be truly alone. Once again, she was tempted to turn back. Being alone terrified her. Being alone in the cosmic darkness terrified her even more.

But there was no turning back now. She kept reminding herself he reason why she had decided to leave. And now, as she looked around the universe that she had only read about in school books. The universe that had seemed a distant abstract concept. That had seemed ancient and strange as she looked up at the night sky from earth. Now she was sitting in the middle of it; a tiny insignificant lost organism.

"I sure hope I'm made of stardust", she muttered to herself.

She sighed and nibbled on the energy bar she had brought along. She felt a heaviness take over her as she thought of Hunk's expression in the morning when he would realize she was gone. Her heart sank further as she thought of what everyone would feel in the morning.

"No!" She pushed the guilt aside. "Don't do this."

She took a deep breath and stared at her hands. Flashes of Sepi and Aagi had troubled her ever since she had left. She shuddered at the sheer thought of another outburst. The destruction she had unleashed in a matter of seconds was horrifying. She needed to find a way to understand it, control it and find answers.

"And where exactly are you going to find the answers?! Idiot."

"If Pidge was here , she would know what to do", she pouted.

"And if Shiro was here", she sighed, "he would probably tell me this was a bad idea but that he supports me because we're a team."

"And if Keith was here", she smiled and shook her head, "he would most definitely drag me back to the Olkaship."

Just then she heard he stomach growl and laughed to herself.

"And Hunk", she giggled, "he would ask me to eat and then think with a full, happy stomach."

"Alright, let's keep moving, Noor. You gotta keep moving. And something will eventually happen...something will show up...to guide you...or kill you", she scowled.

Just then, a bright light spread through the void. It kept growing and seemed to be moving towards the pod. There was something relaxing and alluring about it. Noor felt herself drawn towards it. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard a low, gentle moan coming from within it.

She watched in awe and felt the pod move forward of its own accord. She could feel a rising sense of dread but somehow the long almost sing-song moans soothed her nerves. She let the pod inch towards the glowing light which had grown into a cloud like entity and looked alive.

Soon, the shimmering sparkling particles were close enough to touch. Mesmerized, she reached out, extending her hand forward only for her fingers to bump into the glass. The contact startled her and snapped her out of her trance.

"Wait...wha...oh my god!"

Noor grabbed the controls and tried moving the pod in vain. The pod didn't respond to anything she did. Frantic and desperate, Noor tried everything she could think of.

"Arrghh! What's going on?!" She grunted as she pressed buttons and fiddled with the controls.

"Looks like you were right", she smacked her forehead, "something _did_ come around to kill you after all."

She felt her heart race and took deep breaths.

"Okay...panicking won't help. Keep calm. Patience yields focus."

She froze as the words involuntarily spilled out of her mouth. She closed her eyes and smiled. After a few seconds, she opened them again.

"I hope this works."

Noor pressed the button to open the pod but just like everything else, it didn't respond. She scrambled to the hatch and worked at it manually. After several grunts and tugs, the latch clicked and she pushed it up with her shoulder.

"This is fine...it's going to be fine. This is your only option. You're going to get out there and propel yourself far away from this...this...thing and hope to god it doesn't suck you in like the pod."

As the hatch opened, she took a peek outside and emerged slowly. She paused halfway out and looked curiously at the bright particles. Hesitantly, she reached out and waved her hand about but couldn't feel anything. It was as if the entire cloud was an illusion. It didn't have any tangible particles, it wasn't warm or cool, it wasn't soft or hard, it had no feeling.

Another long and louder moan caught her attention and she hurriedly popped out of the pod. She looked in every direction and when the sound echoed once more, she began thrusting herself in the opposite direction.

"Yes!" She exclaimed as the suit worked.

She moved further away but never seemed to travel far enough to escape the glowing cloud that was still all around her. And the sound seemed to just get closer and closer. She changed directions several times, but none of them seemed to be the right one to exit this bubble. The light was an endless mist in every direction.

Suddenly, she felt movement behind her. She turned around and gasped when she saw a gigantic shadow appearing through the cloud. She could barely hear herself shriek over the rumbling sound of the enormous body moving through space. Its moans vibrated every molecule around her and she could feel it rattle her entire body all the way down to her bones.

"Is that…", she croaked in disbelief, "is that a whale!?"

The creature was floating effortlessly towards her and she could barely make out its features without having to turn her head from one side to the other, from up to down, in order to take in its entire form.

She darted towards the pod once more. She managed to click it open just as the creature floated above her. She could feel its heavy presence on her despite the gap, almost as if it was pushing down the space between them.

She rushed inside but just as she was about to close the hatch, she felt an invisible wave hit her, throwing her down on the floor. She froze as she felt a the moans quieten and a whisper surround her. She couldn't tell if the whisper was outside or inside her mind. But somehow, she could understand it. It was trying to say something to her.

_Come with me and you will find all the answers you seek._

Her eyes opened wide and the next thing she knew, the whale had travelled beneath the pod. She peered outside the window and realized that she was now sitting on the whale's back. She tried to start the dead engine to fly away but something made her stop. Her hand paused on the lever and she bit her lips.

"You wanted answers, didn't you", she muttered to herself. "Well...maybe this is it."

She poked her head outside the hatch. From where she stood, she wouldn't have been able to tell that she was on a whale. It was like a small planet. The surface had terrain features and plant like life. There were rocks and caves and hillocks and small pools of water.

The next moan shook her to the core and she fell back inside. She reached up and closed the hatch and sat in her seat once more. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the dashboard.

"'Looks like I'm going for a ride", she dropped her chin on her palms. "I hope I have a whale of a time."

She let out a small giggle and then hid her face in her hands.

"Shut up, Noor."

* * *

"What does that even mean!? Vanished?" Keith exclaimed!

"I don't know...", Pidge frowned as she adjusted the modulators to detect any faint signal from the pod.

Keith ran his hand through his hair, trying to think straight. His mind was racing and he sat down in frustration.

"Does anyone remember anything? Any clue as to where she could be?" Luten was pacing the room.

"No idea", Hunk stood next to Pidge and stared at the map. "She doesn't even know how to...she's never...piloted a pod alone before...let alone navigate…"

"This is bad", Luten shook his head.

Keith felt Kosmo nuzzle up next to him and relaxed a little. He focussed on Kosmo. He could see the same beseeching eyes stare back at him that had endeared him when he found the pup on the cosmic whale.

As Kosmo looked at him intently, Keith felt himself being drawn into his eyes. They were like a galaxy, deep and endless, shining and twinkling. He saw himself falling into them as if falling down a cosmic tunnel. Everything around him faded away and as he tumbled through the void, he suddenly found himself in a familiar part of the universe.

A bright flash shot out from the distance and raced towards him. He shielded his eyes as it engulfed him and he saw an old memory. It was a vision he had experienced a long time back.

_The energy waves show you visions of the past and the future. Time is warped._

Just as quickly, he was thrown back out of the tunnel and into the present. His eyes opened wide at the memory. It had never made sense at the time. But now it did.

"I know where we need to go", he stood up and spoke with new found determination.

"What? How?" Luten turned his attention to Keith.

"Where?" Pidge looked at him hopefully.

"The Quantum Abyss."


	26. The abyss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith remembers something startling and as inexplicable as it seems, he decides to trust his instincts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so proud of myself when I thought of the Quantum Abyss and connected it to my story line haha.
> 
> Can't wait for y'all to read the next few chapters!

* * *

"That's it…", Keith spoke to Bani, "this is how far we can go safely. Kosmo can teleport me inside."

"So this is the Quantum Abyss...", Pidge stared in awe at the jumble of massive stars and celestial objects floating in the distance.

"Yes", Bani stood beside her, smiling and admiring the view. "The abyss is filled with large dark stars orbited by dense neutron stars, which causes all nearby celestial bodies to be chaotically pulled into different directions."

Pidge turned to face her, fascinated.

"The concentration of such massive objects", Bani continued, "creates unusual effects on gravitational waves and affects the fabric of space-time itself! The area around the abyss is full of warped chunks of organic debris."

"That doesn't sound safe", Hunk frowned.

"There is a very precise path through the abyss that is relatively unaffected and safe enough to travel", Keith replied.

"And what happens if you fall off the path?" Pidge crossed her arms across her chest.

"Uh…", Keith leaned against the table, "...getting too close to gravity wells and their space-time drop-offs can be...fatal...it could...stretch me into nothingness.

"Yeahhh", Hunk rolled his eyes, "That sounds _totally_ safe!"

"I'm coming too", Luten stepped forward.

"No", Keith snapped. "It's not worth risking more people. Plus, you won't be of any help."

"Excuse me?" an irritated Luten stood in front of Keith. "I won't be of any help?"

"Yes…", Keith replied matter of factly. "I've been there before...for a long time. Oh, that's another thing...time is different there..."

"I don't need your permiss…", Luten glared at Keith but was interrupted.

"I remember!" Pidge exclaimed. "You were stuck there for two years and only four or five days had passed by for us!"

"What?!" Luten looked alarmed.

"So if you mess up, you could be stuck there for years and years and come back all old and wrinkled or worse….die there?!" Hunk gasped.

"That won't happen" Keith sighed and walked to Kosmo. "We can't waste anymore time than we already have. It took us a day to get here. That means she's already been there for several months."

"But how will you know where to go?" Bani spoke. "And what if she isn't there?"

"I'll figure it out", Keith nodded at Kosmo, and when his eyes opened, he was in the abyss.

* * *

Keith stood on a floating chunk of rock and scanned the abyss. Within seconds and much to his relief, he picked up the pod's tracking signal. He made his way carefully through the haphazard objects with Kosmo by his side.

Soon, he was close to the pod but it was out of his reach. It stood still, suspended in the void, far away from any celestial object in its vicinity. Keith frowned and looked at his screen. The pod was just outside the safe path.

"Oh boy!" He rubbed the back of his neck.

After a few more minutes of looking around for other options, he finally gave up and turned to Kosmo.

"You think you can get us in there?" He knelt down and petted the pup.

Kosmo wagged his tail and followed Keith's gaze. He sniffed the air and let out a soft howl.

"I'll take that as a yes", Keith sighed.

When they landed inside, Keith stumbled and fell to the ground. He looked around and smiled as he recognized the pod.

"Good job, boy!"

He stood up and scrambled to the pilot seat hastily but froze when he saw her limp body. He had been hoping that part of the vision wouldn't be true. He reached out and felt for a pulse. He relaxed his shoulders when he found a soft and slow beating. He gently picked her up and lay her down in the back. He touched her forehead, leaned closer to feel her heartbeat and check her breathing. Everything about her vitals was normal, weaker, but normal.

"Noor", he mumbled as he shook her slowly. "Wake up…"

There was no response. He frowned and looked at Kosmo.

"Alright, c'mon boy. Take us back."

Kosmo barked softly and didn't move.

"C'mon boy…", Keith repeated.

Kosmo ignored him and lay down beside Noor.

"Why aren't you...do you not want to..." Keith looked at the pup, confused. "Do we...do we need to wait here?"

Kosmo looked at him and barked once more. Keith looked at the pup, then back at Noor. He decided to trust Kosmo. The dog was, after all, from the abyss. Maybe he knew something Keith didn't. He ran his hand through his hair and sat back, glancing every now and then at the still body. Her chest rose and fell ever so gently. He leaned forward and moved aside the strand of hair that was covering her face and sighed.

"You stupid girl."

* * *

Keith jolted awake all of a sudden, hand on his blade. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was. He looked at his screen and guessed that it had probably been a few hours since he found the pod. Noor still hadn't moved.

He was beginning to worry. With every passing hour he felt a dread creep over him. It frustrated him how helpless he felt. He didn't want to go back to the others and leave her alone. But Kosmo still refused to teleport her back with him.

"She's been here for almost a year now", he spoke impatiently. "We need to take her back, Kosmo!"

The pup licked his arm and returned to Noor's side patiently.

Keith groaned and shook his head. He watched Noor again.

"Please wake up…"

He sat back and felt himself drifting off again. Just as he began dozing, he heard a gasp.

He jumped closer and saw Noor take in a long deep breath. He rubbed his eyes, unsure if it was a dream or real. But then Noor's grey eyes found his and they stared at each other in disbelief.

"Keith!?" Noor spoke in a hoarse voice, "What are you doi…"

He didn't wait for her to finish. He jumped forward and pulled her into a hug. Noor froze in shock, unable to understand what was going on. Many questions buzzed around in her head.

_How long had he been here! Was everyone else okay? How did he know to come to the abyss!_

She snapped back to reality when she heard his whispers.

"I thought you were...I wasn't sure what to do…"

He kept hugging her tighter with every word. Noor was taken aback but as she heard his frantic voice, she instinctively wrapped her arms around him.

"Don't ever do that Noor. Don't ever leave. Please."

"I...I…"

"You can't just run away."

"I…I'm sorry."

Keith pulled back but didn't let her go.

"It's been two days in our time! You were in here for almost a year, Noor! What happened?"

"What the hell are YOU doing here, Keith? How did you even find me...how are the others...are they okay? Oh my god...how long have YOU been here!? What the hell is wrong with…"

Keith pulled her in for another hug and this time Noor sighed and let herself be held. She was glad to see him. She was glad to be back. She was grateful for the human contact and grounded herself in the warmth of his body.

"You're an idiot", her muttered.

"And I thought you weren't the hugging type", she chuckled.

Keith pulled her closer and didn't say anything.

"Wow I must have really scared you, mullet man", she tried joking.

"You did", Keith whispered softly.

"Keith?" Noor pulled back and looked at him in concern. "What's going on? You're behaving...weird. Is everything okay?"

Keith looked at her in disbelief. A slow anger began rising in him.

"What do you mean _'is everything okay'_?! Of course everything is _not okay_! You disappeared without telling anyone. And then I find you passed out, floating around in the abyss alone!"

Noor flinched at his outburst.

"How would you feel if you were in my position?!" He glared at her.

Noor avoided his gaze. She knew exactly what would have happened in the past if he or the others were in danger.

"I…I...but how did you even find me?"

Keith sighed and leaned back. He looked at her for a few seconds and then spoke softly.

"Remember I told you I was stuck here once?"

"Yeah, with your mother...for two years."

"Well, the solar flares here...they trigger visions of the past and future."

"So?"

"One of the visions I saw when I was here the last time, was a floating pod. I was looking at it from the outside and I saw someone inside. An unconscious girl. At the time, I didn't know what it was. It didn't make any sense. But now...I realized...it was you."


	27. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Keith and Noor make their way back to the team, Noor surprises him with her new abilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a (long) filler chapter and some cheesy fluff but I couldn't resist! Hold on for just a bit longer. The next chapter is going to do a deep dive. YAY!

* * *

Noor was stunned. She was overcome with emotion and didn't know how to respond. She gazed at Keith as he smiled and shrugged at her. She had seen a lot over the last year. Things she couldn't have ever imagined in her wildest dreams.

But what he had said, a vision of her floating in the quantum abyss several years before they would even meet, still seemed unbelievable. She was amazed by the mysterious ways in which the universe worked. The invisible threads that connected them all.

Her fingers slowly found their way to his and intertwined them. She stared at their hands and pressed them together. Keith didn't flinch. He rested his other hand on hers.

"Noor…?" he spoke when she hadn't spoken for several seconds.

"It's so...I can't believe…", she sighed and looked up at him finally. "Thanks for finding me...again", she smiled gratefully. "How many times are you gonna have to find me before all this is done", she giggled.

Before he knew what he was saying, Keith replied earnestly.

"As many times as it takes." He froze at his own words. "Uhh…", he fumbled, "I mean…"

"I know what you meant", she chuckled softly and wrapped his arm around her, leaning in for another hug. "Thank you."

Keith was surprised at himself and the warm fluttering that was spreading through his chest. He was trying to sort through his thoughts when he felt Noor sobbing against him. His shoulders dropped as he felt the weight of everything lift off - the worry, the uncertainty, the fear.

It was all going to be okay. He was glad to have found her. He was glad she was alive and fine. He pulled her closer as Noor hid her face in his chest and wept. After several minutes, Kosmo finally came over to them and licked her arm. Noor laughed and wiped her tears when she saw the pup looking at her expectantly.

"I missed you too, boy", she leaned forward and kissed him.

"He didn't allow me to teleport you", Keith petted the pup.

"Ahh...thank you", she kissed Kosmo's nose. "You knew where I was, didn't you?" Noor rubbed his neck.

"Where were you?"

"I'll tell you everything once we're back at the Olkasihip", Noor turned around to face Keith and grinned.

"Alright let's go then...Kosmo can telepor…"

"We don't need to teleport", Noor interrupted him.

"Uhh...then how are we going to…"

Her grin grew wider as she retrieved something from her pocket and held it out in front of him.

"Is this the whistle you stole at the swap moon mall!?" Keith's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yep! I knew it would come handy!" She smiled smugly.

"Sure you did", Keith rolled his eyes. "And how exactly is this going to help us?"

Noor stood up and reached for the hatch. She opened it and began climbing out of the pod when Keith yanked her back.

"Noor where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Ouch!" Noor winced and glared at Keith. "Calm down, will you. Just trust me."

He let go hesitantly. Noor climbed up and half her body emerged outside the pod. She could feel his hands still grabbing onto her legs, much to her amusement. She looked around and then blew into the whistle.

Keith watched bewildered as the whistle made no sound. He wondered if she had gone crazy in the abyss. But then he heard a long deep moaning sound surround them and within seconds a cosmic whale had appeared. He saw her make a few swift moments with her arms, and felt the pod move towards the creature and eventually land on its back. She returned inside and closed the hatch.

"Umm...how did you…"

"Told you", she smirked as she sat beside him once more, "the trip was worth it!"

"Uhuh...uhuh…", he nodded bewildered, unable to wrap his brain around what he had just seen. "But...but I've been on this animal before...this can take forever."

"Not when you know how to talk to them", she beamed.

"You can...talk to it?"

"Soooo much to tell you", she winked and laughed. "We should be there in a few hours."

Keith dropped his head in resignation and chuckled.

"You're a weird idiot", he looked at her.

"You're an idiot too", she nudged his shoulder.

"That's probably true", he nudged her back.

"Wow", she gasped, "I never thought I'd see the day when Keith Kogane would accept that he is an idiot."

"Never thought I'd see the day when I'd have to chase someone into the quantum fucking abyss", he grinned.

They laughed and let out a deep sigh. Then they fell silent and looked at each other. Noor saw a somber expression replace the laughter on Keith's face.

"Why did you leave, Noor? Was it because of the fire? None of us were injured and I was fin…"

"I had to", she interrupted him. "I couldn't wait around for something worse to jump out of me."

"You left without saying anything."

"If I had said anything, none of you would have let me leave."

"But you didn't need to go alone", he frowned. "If you needed to get answers, I could have come with you."

"I didn't know where I was going, Keith."

"I would have still come with you!" Keith nearly yelled.

Noor flinched back in surprise. She looked away with guilt and frustration.

"I'm sorry", Keith muttered and turned her back towards him, "I just...I felt helpless."

" _You_ felt helpless?" Noor grunted, "How do you think _I've_ been feeling ever since I got abducted? When I saw other people being experimented on. When I was being experimented on. When they blew up the base. When I unleashed so much destruction and nearly killed all of you in my rage. I couldn't do anything to control it...I felt so so helpless!"

Noor looked at him in anger. She could feel the tears building up but she wasn't about to let them fall. She wanted to be angry. Not hurt.

"This is not just about you or me. This is about something much much bigger than we realized! And I needed to figure it out. And I have, Keith. I HAVE figured it out! I'm NOT going to say sorry for any of it!"

Keith stared into her eyes. There was a fierce determination in them. It was then that he noticed the changes in her. She seemed more confident and self assured than he had ever seen before. Whatever she had been through during her year in the abyss, had changed something deep inside her.

"You're right", he sighed finally. "You did what you had to...I can relate to that."

"Good." Noor relaxed.

Just then, she heard a buzzing in the distance and in the blink of an eye, a strong bright beam blinded her.

* * *

"What the fuck was that!?" Noor exclaimed.

She felt Keith's body hunched over her protectively. She straightened herself and looked at him confused.

"It was the solar flare I told you about", he replied. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I guess. Just a little shaken. What...what did you see in your vision?"

"I'm pretty sure we saw the same thing", he whispered as he looked away. "It's called dream sharing."

"Hmm", Noor glanced at him hesitantly. "I saw...I saw you...but you were a child. And you were at a funeral."

"It was my father's funeral."

"Oh…", Noor placed a hand on his arm, "I'm sorry. How did he..."

"He was a fire fighter...a true hero. They told him not to go back into the building but he…"

"He sounds like an amazing person. That's where you get it from, huh?"

"Get what from?" Keith finally looked at her.

"Your compassion. And your courage", she smiled and squeezed his arm.

Keith smiled and leaned his head against the wall. Noor looked at him and saw the lost child she had seen in the vision. The child who had sat on the stairs as the guests bid his father farewell and left the house. The child who had wept silently and planted a kiss on his father's cheeks. She had seen him lean forward and whisper ever so softly.

_Please don't leave me._

"Umm...is that another one? So soon?" Noor gasped as a bright light expanded in the distance.

"Guess we're passing through an active solar zone. Brace yourself", he yelled as he pulled her close and covered her with his body once more.

* * *

Noor remained frozen and hunched when she snapped back to reality. Her breathing grew shallow and she wrapped her arms around herself when Keith pulled back. She shut her eyes tightly.

She hoped and prayed that he hadn't seen the same vision as her. She felt a pain shoot through her chest and the familiar panic emerging from a void within her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched.

"Noor...I…", Keith was at a loss for words. "I...didn't know…"

He felt her shrink further into herself. He adjusted himself so that they were face to face.

"Hey…", he whispered, "...I'm sorry….your father…"

"He was no father to me", Noor grit her teeth as she stared at the floor. "My real father...the only man I will ever consider a father, adopted me several years after this monster repeatedly raped…"

She paused and gulped. She was shaking and found it hard to keep a steady voice. Keith waited patiently and gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"He got what he deserved. A bullet to the head. The only regret I have is that she...my mother...lost her life trying to save me."

"She was a brave woman."

"Yes...she was", Noor felt hot tears slide down her cheeks.

She leaned forward and rested her forehead on his shoulder. Keith rested his chin on her head and sighed. They sat in silence for several minutes.

"Ugh…", she groaned and sat up, "For god's sake. Here we go again!"

She scowled and covered her eyes as another flash exploded towards them.

* * *

Noor looked around trying to figure out where the visions had brought her this time. She heard screams behind her and turned around startled. There was chaos everywhere. Distant figures fought from the land and sky. Flashes, beams, shots, explosions erupted from every direction.

Her body floated closer to the action but everything remained a blur. A battle was unfolding and suddenly everything went silent. It was like she was watching a silent movie. From the middle of the chaos, emerged a body. Her body.

She watched in shock as her body radiated a purple glow. As the body in front of her shone with greater intensity, she could feel her own body suffocating. She clutched her throat desperately, trying to take in deep breaths and fight the choking sensation.

All the air was being sucked out of her as she watched her other self bursting with the strange energy. Before she knew what was happening, the purple light turned red and black and soon it exploded in all directions. When she could see again, she stared at her limp, lifeless body fallen on the ground.

The next second, the sounds returned and she could hear the battle once more. People were screaming, weapons were being fired, but amidst all the fighting, her body remained still. She cried out and tried getting closer. But the harder she tried, the farther away her body seemed to move. Until finally, she was sucked out of the vision and back into the pod.

* * *

Keith opened his eyes and was in a place similar to the planet in the Quantum Abyss where he had found Romelle. Except this place was even more tranquil and beautiful. Everywhere he looked, there were lush trees of every shape, flowers of all colors, shimmering green grass, and a beautiful blue sky.

There was a soothing hum in the air all around, like distant birds singing a joyful song. He walked towards a meadow of purple and white flowers that swayed daintily in the breeze. It had only been a few seconds, but he was already more relaxed and happy than he had ever been.

Beyond the meadow, he could see a lake by which sat two figures. He squinted to get a clearer view but they were too far away. They seemed to be engaged in a lively conversation. One figure was speaking rapidly, their arms moving all around them animatedly. The other person seemed to be enjoying the little performance as they threw their head back several times in laughter.

As he made his way through the meadow to get a better look, he felt rustling nearby. He turned to see a shadowy figure sprint by him.

"Kosmo?" Keith exclaimed. "Kosmo! What are you doing here?"

But the pup didn't hear him. He kept running towards the two figures. Keith watched in surprise as it jumped around them. The second figure petted and massaged the pup, while the first one leaned back giggling to avoid Kosmo's licks.

"What is going on?" Keith whispered to himself.

He inched closer hesitantly and then his eyes opened wide. The figures became clearer and he noticed a familiar jacket on the second figure. It was his jacket. He focussed on the first figure and thought he recognized the hair which was tied in a familiar ponytail that swung about in the breeze as she continued talking and giggling.

"Is that…"

Before Keith could finish his thought, he felt himself sliding back the way he had come. He had no control over his movements. And finally, he was sucked out of the vision and back into the pod.

* * *

When Keith opened his eyes again, he saw a terrified Noor staring ahead. He tapped her arm to get her attention. When Noor turned to face Keith, his smile turned into a concerned frown.

"Noor...what happened? What did you see?"

"I...I...umm...what did you see?"

"It was kinda nice...I was on a beautiful planet. So green and peaceful and pleasant. I thought I saw Kosmo and myself and…", he paused and glanced at Noor who once again, seemed lost in her own thoughts. "Are you okay? Didn't you see the same vision as me?"

"Huh?" Noor snapped out of her thoughts. "Uhh...yeah", she was unsure of what to make of her vision. "I...yes, me too. The green...planet. Yeah...it was gorgeous", she decided not to reveal her disturbing vision.

"Are you sure? You don't look like you had a very...positive vision", his frown deepened.

"No...I did. I did. I just...I couldn't tell who the people were so I was confused", she lied and managed a smile.

"Hmm", Keith muttered.

"Look", Noor jumped up and looked outside the pod. "I think we're out of the abyss. Is that...the Olkaship?" She pointed at a small object hovering far away.

"Looks like it." Keith stood beside her and leaned forward.

Noor tried starting the pod and to her relief, this time, it turned on.

"The controls are back!" She exclaimed and reached for the comm.

"Comms are still offline!" she sighed as she tried to tune it to different frequencies. "Doesn't matter...we can get off this whale now. Take the controls and wait for me", she stood up and gestured to Keith.

She walked back to the hatch and stood up once more. She pulled out the whistle and blew into it, this time in short bursts in a specific pattern. Then she waved her arms in a circle and then upwards and Keith felt the pod rise and hover over the whale.

"Now…", she peeped back inside at an astonished Keith. "Let's go."

As they flew away, Noor sighed and looked back at the magnificent creature.

"Bye, whale", she waved sadly.

She thought of all the friends she had made over the last year and how much she had been through with them.

"Thank you for everything", she whispered and took a seat beside Keith.

"Ready to go home, Noor?" he smiled.

Noor leaned back letting go of the disturbing vision she had had and looked forward to seeing her team again...her friends...her home.

* * *

"They're here! I can detect the pod", Pidge jumped out of her seat and yelled.

Hunk's snoring ended abruptly and he nearly fell off his seat.

"They're….they're on the back of a giant rocky moving thing…", Pidge muttered.

"Is it a planet?" Luten gasped.

"Maybe an asteroid?" Pidge muttered.

"No, it looks like a…", Shiro stood beside Pidge and stared at the object.

"It's a giant cosmic whale!" Bani gasped. "So they _are_ real!"

"They're flying off it now. Open the hatch", Shiro ordered.

They watched in disbelief as the pod left the whale and made its way to them. The whale let out a long moan and turned back.

"So…", Pidge turned to face the others, " _that_ happened."

They rushed down and when they entered the hangar, they saw Keith helping Noor off the pod.

"Noor!" Pidge ran forward and jumped at the girl, embracing her with all her might.

Noor stumbled back, tired and unsteady. Keith supported her and chuckled. Noor sighed and hugged the girl back. When she looked up, she saw Shiro standing behind her. She took a deep breath and walked to him. She noticed the bandages on his forehead and shoulder.

"Shiro…", she looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorr…"

"I'm glad you're alright", Shiro pulled her in for a hug, "That's all that matters."

"I'm glad you're alright too", she sniffed and leaned into the embrace.

The rest of the group exclaimed in relief and soon she was enclosed in a group hug.

"Slow down, guys!" Keith pulled Hunk back and then reached for Pidge. "She has literally not eaten anything since she left."

"What!?" Hunk exclaimed. "We have to fix that immediately! I'll cook Indian food today."

"It's good to have you back", Luten smiled and placed his hand on her arm.

"Thank you", Noor gave him a quick hug. "It's good to be back."

"Let's get you inside", he began intertwining their arms when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay…", Keith stepped forward, "I can take her."

There was an awkward silence as Keith and Noor left.

"That's rough buddy", Hunk patted Luten on the back.

* * *

After dinner, everyone sat around Noor in the lounge. She was wrapped in a cozy blanket with her legs up on the couch, and was sipping on hot tea that Hunk had prepared to help her fatigue.

"So…", Pidge sat in front of her expectantly, "...you were lost...and a glowing cloud spread all around you...a giant cosmic whale like the one we saw back there appeared and your pod...got stuck on it."

"Yep", Noor nodded. "And then it took me to the quantum abyss", she rested her feet against Keith's thighs who sat beside her on the couch.

"What happened there?"

"My pod floated around and then it just stopped, frozen in place. I could feel a powerful force calling out to me. I didn't know what it was at the time but it grew stronger and eventually, I felt like I was being sucked out of my own body."

"Woah…"

"The next thing I knew...I was in a whole other world...a spirit world."


	28. The Spirit World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor’s spirit gets sucked in from the quantum abyss into a whole different realm. There, she makes a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters are going to follow Noor's journey in the spirit world. This took a lot of thinking and storyboarding and research to make sure I bring the Avatar world into my story in a way that's justified and at the same time, magical! The possibilities with a place like the Spirit world are endless. This was so much fun to write!
> 
> Looking forward to your thoughts and comments!

* * *

_Come with me and you will find all the answers you seek._

The whispers kept repeating as Noor travelled on the whale. Suddenly, the pod jerked up and down and as Noor leaned forward to look outside, she realized the pod was no longer on the back of the whale. Instead, she was now floating through a mysterious space, filled with debris and rocks and things that resembled asteroids and stars.

"This must be the quantum abyss", Noor gasped.

Just as suddenly as it had slid off the whale, the pod came to a halt and remained still thereon. As it hovered, the whispers turned to echoes that grew louder with every second.

_Come with me and you will find all the answers you seek._

All at once, Noor felt a powerful force pulling her. Before she knew what was happening, she felt her thoughts, her emotions, and eventually her entire self being sucked out of her body. For just a fraction of a second, she turned back to look at her body falling limp before she lost all awareness and everything became a blur.

* * *

"Woah", Noor rubbed her eyes repeatedly. "Is this place real...it's so…", she looked around in wonder, "...breathtaking."

Noor felt the grass beneath her. It was softer than any grass she had ever sat on. Everything around her was like a beautiful painting. The colors were more vivid than any she had ever seen, the sky seemed bluer, the trees seemed happier, the sunlight seemed brighter.

"No bruises, thank the heavens" She stood up and checked her body.

"But where did I fall from...how did I get here", she looked all around and above her but could see nothing but clear skies and endless greenery.

After several more minutes of walking, stopping, head scratching, picking another direction and then more walking, Noor finally groaned and sat down once more.

"This is just great!" She yelled and fell back to lie on the grass.

"What are you doing, Noor", she covered her face and whispered. "What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?" A gentle voice repeated.

Noor jumped up and looked around startled. She saw nothing except the same serene landscape.

"Aaand now you're hallucinating", she smacked her forehead. "Where the hell am I?"

"In the spirit world!" A gentle voice spoke again.

Noor looked up slowly and saw tiny sparkles in front of her, that eventually took the form of a small bunny like animal. Noor's eyes opened wide and she shrieked half in shock and half in amazement as the animal kept growing larger until it was almost as tall as her.

She scrambled back but stopped when she saw how timid, almost bashful, the creature was. It had long droopy ears and its gaze shifted from her face to her legs to her arms, as if scrutinizing her entire body. It glowed a soft purple, quite similar to the color she had seen in her vision a few times.

"What...who...are you?" Noor sat up on her knees and looked at it in wonder.

"Pipi", the animal replied and twitched its nose.

"Pipi?"

The creature nodded.

"But...Pipi...what are you?"

"I'm a spirit of course", Pipi tilted its head to one side and stared at the confused girl.

"A spi...spirit...hmm...uh huh…", Noor mumbled while trying to wrap her mind around the word.

"Of...of course…", she nodded and glanced at Pipi.

Then, she sighed and dropped her head. "Okay, I don't know what that is. Is it like a ghost? Are you dead? Oh my god!" Noor yelped. "Am I dead?!"

"No", Pipi giggled, "We're both alive. A spirit is...just a spirit", Pipi shrugged. "I'm just another being like you're a human being!"

"Wait...how do you know I'm a human?"

"You look like a human of course", Pipi tiled its head once more and stared at Noor as if she ought to have known that.

"So...you've seen other humans? Here?"

Pipi nodded.

"Are they still...am I still a human...or am I a spirit now?"

"Hmm...I don't know how to explain it. But I can take you to someone who can."

"Oh...alright", Noor stood up hesitantly.

She exhaled and shook her entire body in an attempt to loosen up.

_Keep it together, Noor. Do not panic. Just take it one second at a time. Patience yields focus. Just follow Pipi's lead for now._

Noor looked at the smiling creature.

_Yep. Just follow this strange spirit creature who formed out of thin air and is staring at you like you are the one that's strange and stupid._

"Okay, lead the way", Noor gestured at the meadow. "How long is the walk?"

"We don't need to walk", Pipi chuckled and shook its head. "I'm a dragonfly bunny, silly!"

"How can you be both? You do look like a bunny, but I don't see the dragonfly part", Noor pursed her lips.

Pipi smiled and began wiggling its ears. The wiggling turned into flapping and Noor watched in disbelief as Pipi's ears turned translucent and its body hovered a few feet off the ground.

"See...", Pipi flapped her ears in an exaggerated motion, "dragonfly! Now get on!"

Pipi returned to the ground and turned its back to Noor. Noor blinked several times, unsure of what was expected of her.

"What's wrong?" Pipi looked over its shoulder.

"Get on what? You?"

"How else will I take you there?" Pipi did the head tilt again and once again looked at Noor like she was being unbelievably dumb.

Noor exhaled and stepped forward. Pipi lowered herself and Noor climbed on warily. She held onto Pipi's back and prepared herself for take off. But little did she know, there was nothing she could have done to be ready for what was to come next.

* * *

"Oh my...what the fuckkkk….wow….this is…", Noor exclaimed as she squealed.

As Pipi rose higher and higher, Noor felt a cool wind in her face and hair. The air was light, fresh, and energizing. Everywhere she looked, there was a magnificent sight to behold. Jungles, rivers, meadows, hills, lakes, mountains.

"What is this place, Pipi!? How has my life come to this!" Noor laughed and threw her head back.

She closed her eyes and it almost felt like she was the one with wings. Like she was the one soaring into the sky. Like she was the one flying; free, untethered, and without a care in the world. After several minutes of flying, Noor leaned forward and rested her elbows on Pipi's back.

"How did you find me, Pipi?"

"I felt you enter the Spirit World and came to you."

"You _felt_ me arrive here? How?"

"Well...a dragonfly bunny appears in front of a person when they feel a strong spiritual connection with them or are told to do so by a person we trust."

"I'm pretty sure we don't have a strong spiritual connection", Noor chuckled and gazed at the river below them.

"Not yet", Pipi replied, causing Noor to turn her attention back to the spirit.

"So who sent you to me?" Noor asked as she mulled over the spirit's words.

"You'll know soon. We're going to meet them right now!"


	29. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pipi takes Noor to a place of her visions and there Noor meets someone who has been expecting her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long gap! Life got in the way! I am currently transitioning from one chapter to the next big chapter in my life and there are so many things to do.
> 
> Anyway, I'm back and will do my best to be consistent with the next chapters. Hopefully, you enjoy and leave comments and feedback!

* * *

"Wait...that...that's the place I saw in my vision", Noor gasped and looked at the land below.

Pipi descended to the vast barren expanse and landed in front of a large, seemingly dead, tree. Noor slid off and eyed the tree cautiously. Her eyes opened wide as she saw a glow emanate from inside the hollow trunk.

"What is that?" Noor turned to Pipi.

"Go on", Pipi twitched her nose. "She's been waiting for you." With that, Pipi flapped her ears and flew away.

"Hello?" Noor took a deep breath and walked closer.

Silence.

"Umm...I'm Noor...have you been...expecting me?"

The glow began to subside and Noor covered her mouth in surprise. There, in the center of the trunk, sat a woman. She opened her eyes slowly and a smile spread across her tranquil face.

"Hello, Noor", the woman came towards a speechless Noor. "I'm glad you're finally here."

"I...uhh...yes, I'm here. Although I don't know exactly how or why", Noor frowned and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Understandable", the woman chuckled. "All this...everything that's happened to you so far...must seem strange and overwhelming."

"That is the understatement of the year", Noor rolled her eyes. "Are you the one who sent Pipi to find me?" She eyed woman and tilted her head.

"Yes, I felt you enter the spirit world."

"But...who are you?"

"I'm Jinora", she bowed slightly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Noor noticed the soft blue arrows on her forehead and arms. The woman had a serene look on her face.

"I'm sure you have many questions. Come with me."

Noor followed her into the tree hollow and looked around confused. It was empty and didn't look any different from a regular tree. She sat across from Jinora and waited.

"This", Jinora looked around smiling, "is the tree of time."

"I think I've seen this in my visions before."

"You must have. Its roots bind the spirit and physical worlds together. Once your water bending awakened, you started connecting with the spirit world. Your visions were trying to lead you here but your connection wasn't strong enough I guess. When your fire bending was triggered and you were at your lowest, your connection deepened. It pulled you here."

"How do you know about my fire powers...umm...bending?"

"The tree of time remembers all. We are all connected, Noor. And when you first unlocked your water bending, I could feel your spirit and see your memories. Everything up until now."

"Everything?" Noor bit her lips.

"Yes", Jinora placed a hand on Noor's face lovingly. "Everything you've been through has only made you stronger, unyielding, and fearless. Even if you don't believe so. Your inner spirit is strong, and that is why you can hold this power within."

"But what is this power? How did that creature get it and put it inside me?!" Noor groaned.

"Close your eyes, and focus your mind."

"Are you asking me to meditate? Even the creature made me do that and he made me relive all my terrible…the point is...I suck at meditating."

"Believe me", Jinora chuckled, "There was another one, who held the same power a long time ago, who felt the same way about meditation. But it's not about getting it right or wrong. It's just about letting yourself be."

"There were others?!"

"One step at a time", Jinora smiled and closed her eyes.

"Fine", Noor sighed and closed her eyes too.

As she focussed on her breathing, she could feel a tingling sensation all over her skin. A few seconds later, her mind was overflowing with visions. She realized that these were actual memories. Her memories, Jinora's memories, and many others of people who she didn't recognize.

She saw other humans bending water, fire, even earth and the air around them. She saw giant turtle like creatures and other glowing creatures like Pipi. She saw a huge flying creature with arrows like Jinora's, a giant mole like creature, a bright magnificent moon, and a majestic dragon.

"Oh my god!" Noor opened her eyes in shock. "I saw a dragon! An actual dragon! Was that...are those real?!"

"Everything you saw, is real...or at least it was, thousands of years ago."

"I saw many things! Humans controlling different elements, animals that I've never seen before, and people who I don't recognize."

"This is our past, Noor. The long forgotten history of the human race. There was a time when humans were granted the power to bend elements by the ancient spirits. With time, humans no longer needed such things. They became powerful in their own way."

"Do you see that shining beam behind you?" Jinora continued. "That is a spirit portal. It connects the spirit world to the human realm. The ones on Earth are dormant now, unknown to humans. The quantum abyss has a portal too. That's the one you came here through. There are many more all across the universe."

"Is that...how the creature got here? That's how it got the vials, isn't it!?"

"Vials?"

"These...the creature injected whatever is inside these into me and somehow that gave me these powers", Noor pulled out the two vials from her pocket and handed them to Jinora. "There were four but two have already been injected in me."

"That must be how you were able to fire bend and water bend", Jinora held the vials up against the light. "This must be the essence it stole."

"Essence?"

"The essence of our lion turtles. The ancient beings that possess the power to grant elemental bending to people."

"I saw those when I was meditating. The giant turtles!"

"Long ago, they were in the human realm and granted bending to people when required. Eventually, they left earth and returned here. About six months back in your time, the creature entered the spirit world. It was unbelievable. No human had crossed over in thousands of years. He must have had a strong sense of spirituality and unearthed and studied ancient texts."

"He was quite the spiritual master when I met him."

"He found his way here and managed to extract the essence of the lion turtles."

"So he _stole_ the essence from the lion turtles?"

"Yes...and now...the spirit world is out of balance...things have been becoming more and more chaotic", Jinora looked at Noor with desolate eyes.

"Oh no!" Noor gasped. "Can we do anything about it?"

"You will have to return the powers to them. It's the only way."

* * *

When Pipi returned to the tree of time, she was accompanied by another dragonfly bunny.

"Hi there, Furry-Foot", Jinora petted the spirit affectionately as she climbed on it.

Noor scrambled onto Pipi and once again found herself soaring through the blue skies. Soon, she saw a vast sea below them and as they began descending, she could see two figures standing on the shore. On landing, Noor saw a woman with a giant white dog like creature beside her.

"That's a polar bear dog", Jinora chuckled as they dismounted the bunnies.

"Of course it is", Noor shook her head.

"You must be Noor!" The woman rushed towards them grinning. "Finally! Took you long enough!"

With that, the woman hugged Noor and picked her off the ground. Noor yelped in surprise and hung awkwardly mid air. When she was finally placed back down, she rubbed her arms and stared at the woman.

"Who...who are you?"

"I'm Korra", the woman smiled, "I was an Avatar in the human realm many many centuries ago."

"An av...avatar?"

"Humans could only bend one of the four elements", Jinora replied, "but the Avatar could bend all four elements."

"We were the protectors of humans", Korra added, "it was our responsibility to maintain peace and balance."

Noor listened in awe as Jinora and Korra told her everything about Raava, Vaatu, Avatar Wan, the Avatar cycle, the four nations that existed during their time, the wars, the restored harmony, the spirit portals, the lion turtles, and so much more.

"Woah", Noor exhaled and sat down on the shore, "that's...a lot of information to process all at once."

Noor grabbed a fistful of sand and watched the grains scatter as she let them go.

"Tell me the truth", she looked up at them suddenly, "Am I dead? I must be dead. This is...so unreal...almost magical."

"I assure you", Korra chuckled, "you are not dead. See…", she pinched Noor's arm prompting her to scowl.

"Okay...okay", Noor rubbed her arm vigorously. "So what now? How do I give their essence...back?"

Just then, a rumbling sound echoed all around them. All at once, four giant bodies appeared in front of them, one arose from the water, one descended from the sky, one emerged from the forest behind them, and one from the sand in the distance.

"Are these...the lion turtles?" Noor's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yep", Korra grinned.


	30. The Ancient Ones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor is ready to return the stolen powers to help the lion turtles and the spirit world, but Korra has something else in mind.

* * *

Noor gawked at the enormous beings. They seemed surreal, almost statuesque. It was hard to believe they were alive. But her doubts were soon dispelled when one of them, the one that had emerged from the forest, opened its eyes slowly. Its gaze was directed at Noor and she felt it pierce through her soul.

"I see you the carry the power of the elements...through our essence."

Noor nodded meekly as she trembled.

"I apologize on behalf of humans. I am willing to give all these powers back, if it means saving you and the spirit world!"

"Step forward", the voice commanded in a kind yet assertive voice.

Noor did as she was told and the lion turtle reached out for her. It placed a claw on her forehead and another on her chest. Noor felt a surge of fire blaze through her and rush out her body. When it was done, she felt the force inside her, that up until now she had kept resisting, diminish.

Next, the lion turtle that arose from the sea came closer and did the same. When it was done, the power inside her seemed almost non existent. After more than a month, she felt like there was nothing inside her that was trying to overpower her. She breathed a sigh of relief but a few seconds later, it began feeling like there was a void inside her.

She gulped and pushed the strange feeling of emptiness away as a third lion turtle came and placed its claws on her only to pull back.

"You do not possess the power of earth it seems."

"I don't know…", Noor mumbled. "Oh! Maybe one of these", she pulled out the two vials, "may carry your essence."

The lion turtle lowered itself to Noor's level and placed its claws one of the vials.

"Open this one."

Noor hurriedly opened the vial and startled as the glowing substance floated out. It made its way to the lion turtle's forehead. The creature closed its eyes and the glowing mist vanished into its skin. The lion turtle rose again and seemed to smile at her.

The fourth lion turtle appeared and Noor offered it the last vial. She took a step back and saw all four lion turtles turn towards her and observe her intently.

"We thank you for returning our life force. You have done us a huge favor. For your deed, we shall grant you one wish."

"I...I don't wish for anything...except to go back. Now that I am free of this power, I would like to go back to my friends."

"So be it", their voices echoed.

"But before I go", Noor frowned, "What can you tell me about the creature...what does it want...how can we stop it?"

"Korra and Jinora can explain everything", a lion turtle replied. "They will help you find your way back to the abyss."

Noor nodded and turned to climb Pipi but was interrupted by Korra's voice.

"Wait! I don't think this is the right thing to do...not yet at least."

"What do you mean, Korra?" The lion turtles turned to the woman and spoke as if one spirit.

"The creature is more powerful than any we have seen in a long long time. It has made a connection to the spirits like no other human on earth. The spirit world has been struggling with the repercussions of its actions even now."

'What did it do?" Noor frowned.

"Vaatu...the spirit of darkness...became more powerful because of the strife and evil intentions the creature brought with it. Up until its arrival, Raava had maintained a strong hold on Vaatu. Now, Vaatu has been able to gain some power, just enough to turn some spirits dark. The creature stole the essence and escaped but he left us with a renewed battle between dark and light spirits. We can't let this continue. We must put an end to it before the creature does more harm."

"What are you suggesting?" The lion turtles spoke.

"It seems that once again, the world...the universe...needs the Avatar."

"How is that possible? The cycle...has ended right?" Noor gasped and looked at Korra bewildered.

"The cycle can always begin anew", Korra smiled. "It started over with me when my connection to Raava was broken."

"This could be quite dangerous", the lion turtles spoke after several seconds, "She has no understanding of the powers and no past lives to guide her."

"Umm...hello!" Korra rolled her eyes. "I was the Avatar once remember? And there are many more here who can help me in training her. Even if we don't begin a new cycle, she can be the Avatar for now and then return her bending once she has defeated the creature."

"Very well", the ancient ones replied.

"Uhh...but won't you weaken again if you give me your essence?"

"There's a difference between having our essence stolen and granting you the power willingly."

"How did the creature steal your essence anyway?"

"The creature seemed to have unlocked knowledge that was lost a long time ago. And with the help of Koh, another dark spirit, and some others who had turned dark during his time here...it was able to draw out our essence. Something we had never thought was possible."

"If it was so spiritual, why could it not hold the powers within itself?"

"The lion turtle's essence only blesses those who are worthy. It was different when bending became a normal part of the human world, passed down by parents to their children. But before that, when the power was granted only through the lion turtles, they would judge a person before letting them hold the power."

"So I...I'm worthy?" Noor whispered.

"Yes", the lion turtles replied. "You have a spirit that can withstand any storm. It seems you already have survived many trials and yet you have the capacity to hold light within you."

With those words, the lion turtles placed their claws on Noor one by one and she felt the energy surge once more - fiery, flowing, free, and firm all at the same time. This time, she didn't feel it gnaw and eat at her. This time, she didn't feel the need to fight.

"Noor...we grant you the powers of the four elements. Breathe to become fire. Surrender to become water. Still to become earth. And empty to become air. You hold the gifts of the cosmic forces within you now, for you are worthy. Use these gifts to restore balance and bring peace. Let the light within you guide your actions and let the love around you strengthen your will. After thousands of years, the Avatar returns to once again, be the protector not just of humanity but of the universe."

"Thank you", Noor knelt and lowered her head to the masters, "I will do everything I can to help."


	31. The last chakra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor is almost ready to be the new Avatar but she has one last hurdle to overcome. Help comes from an unexpected source.

* * *

"It's different this time", Noor watched the lion turtles disappear in the distance and placed a hand on her heart. "It isn't devouring me. It isn't trying to take over. It feels...almost like a…"

"A life force", Korra placed a hand on Noor's shoulder and smiled. When it's passed on as a blessing, the energy of bending strengthens our chi and elevates our spirit. Let's go, we have a long journey ahead of us."

"By the way, someone did the same thing to me earlier...placing their hands on my head and heart. She was the queen of the Olkari race."

"Ahh yes...the Olkari!" Jinora replied. "They had such a strong connection to nature, to the land around them. They were granted earth bending and metal bending. Over time, they too have lost memory of their bending but their subconscious has retained the spirit and that is what makes them such a spiritually powerful people. They draw their intelligence and strength from this connection."

"Oh...have there been others? Who have been granted such powers?"

"There have been many who have sought out the secrets of bending. There have been many who have held this power. There have been some who have abused it and in the process have lost themselves and their souls to it."

"Like Hagar and Zarkon!" Noor gasped.

"Yes. But others have been worthy...like the Alteans, the Balmerans, the Mer people. They knew it as quintessence and many other names."

* * *

"It's been several months now", Jinora smiles at Noor who was leaning against a tree and staring at the setting sun. "How do you feel?"

"I feel ready. I've mastered all four elements for spirit's sake!", Noor sighed, "But Korra doesn't think I am. She wants me to stay a little longer."

"You must listen to her then", Jinora patted her leg, "she knows what she is doing. And you have to be the best version of yourself before facing those that threaten the entire universe."

"I know you're right", Noor frowned, "but I want to go back. I miss my friends...I miss…"

"Him?" Jinora smirked.

"No", Noor cleared her throat, "I don't miss Keith only."

"Who said I was talking about Keith?" Jinora's smirk grew wider.

"Huh? Oh...I...you…", Noor's face grew red. Finally, she sighed again, "How did you know? Wait! Have you been peeking into my memories when we meditate in the tree of life!"

"You know I would never do that", Jinora laughed and shook her head. "It's so obvious...you talk about him so much."

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do. And your eyes light up. I know that look. I have that look..."

"For Kai?"

"Yes", Jinora smiled softly and gazed at the sky. "Kai…"

"You both are adorable", Noor giggled and nudged Jinora.

"Enough of this now," Jinora blushed. "It's time for dinner. Come along."

"I'm not hungry...I think I want to stay here for some more time. It's beautiful tonight."

"Alright", Jinora placed a hand on her cheeks gently. "Take your time.

* * *

The sun had set, the moon had risen, the stars had emerged, the night had surrounded her. Everything was aglow with the twinkling starlight and moonlight. There were no clouds and everything seemed serene and perfect. But Noor still felt low.

Korra's words during the morning training meditation kept ringing in her ears and a sense of panic spread across her chest.

" _Once you open this last chakra, you will be able to go in and out of the Avatar State at will. And when you are in the Avatar State, you will have complete control and awareness of all your actions. The Thought chakra is located at the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world. Now, let all of those attachments go. Let them flow down the river. Forgotten."_

Noor felt a warm tear slide down her cheek.

"Why would I...how can I let go of them. They're my family...my only family now", she whispered to herself.

Her tears turned into sobs and she pulled her knees closer to her chest and hid her face in them. As her tears gushed down her face, she suddenly felt a bright light glowing in the distance. She looked up and gasped when she saw the moon shine brighter than ever. Her surprise grew when she saw the glow leave the moon and make its way down towards her.

She stood up cautiously and took a step forward as the glowing orb took the shape of an ethereal woman. More beautiful than anyone she had ever seen. The figure floated in front of her, smiling gently with the kindest eyes Noor had ever seen. Everything about her was calming and reassuring.

"Noor…", she spoke finally.

"Who..who…", suddenly Noor's eyes widened, "You're Yue!" Noor exclaimed with a wide smile.

"Yes", Yue giggled at her enthusiasm. "I am. I came here to meet you.

"You did?" Noor looked at her in wonder.

"I know the turbulence in your heart. Letting go is not easy."

Noor looked at the ground and wiped her tears.

"I know it's the right thing to do. The greater good is more important than my own needs. I'm being selfish."

"No, that is not true."

Noor looked up bewildered.

"But you are misunderstanding what letting go means. Love is not a weakness", Yue continued. "Love is your strength."

"But then why must I let it go?"

"Attachment is what you have let go of, Noor. Not love."

"What does that mean? How are those two different!?" Noor groaned.

"I had to give up my attachment to the man I loved once", Yue gave her a sad smile. "I did it for the greater good. But I never stopped loving him. You cannot let attachment get in the way of your duty. But that doesn't mean you need to erase love from your heart. Your love for your friends makes you stronger. It gives you purpose and more motivation to fight."

"So...you mean", Noor sniffled and looked at Yue, "you mean I can still love them but I should be ready to make any sacrifice necessary if needed?"

"Yes, and right now you still have hesitation. You have sacrificed yourself for them in the past but now your love and attachment for them is stronger. And now you have realized your love for him. And you are afraid of losing him."

Noor looked at her astonished and was unable to say anything for a few seconds.

"I...I don't", Noor fumbled for words,"feel _that_ way for him."

"Don't lie to me...and yourself, Noor", Yue giggled. "Don't forget, I watch over everyone at night, when they are the most vulnerable and reflective. And your thoughts always end up on..."

"Okay, okay", Noor interrupted. "I get the point!" She shuffled her feet nervously and bit her lip.

Yue came closer and placed both hands on her cheek.

"It will be alright, Noor. Don't be afraid of letting go. You won't lose anyone by letting go. Your love will only become stronger and more pure. Trust in yourself and in your love."

* * *

Noor walked up to Korra the next morning, confident and self assured.

"Hey! Sleep well?" Korra smiled at her but then paused when she saw the determined in Noor's grey eyes.

"I'm ready", Noor said. "I am ready to unlock my last chakra."


	32. Back to family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that the whole team is caught up on Noor’s adventure, they must go back to Earth and prepare for the fight of a lifetime.

* * *

"You're ready, Noor", Korra pressed a confused Noor's shoulders and smiled.

"Are you joking with me? Because it's not funny."

"I'm not kidding", Korra laughed. "You're really ready. You can go home now. And I truly believe you can defeat those monsters."

Noor blinked at her in disbelief. Finally she snapped out of her confusion and her eyes widened.

"You're not joking! I can...you really think I'm ready!"

"That's literally what I just said."

"I can go home now", Noor gasped. "Wow. It's been a year. A year. Time just flew by."

"But don't forget, it's probably only been a few days for them."

"Oh, yeah", Noor looked at Pipi who came closer and nuzzled against her. "Did you hear that, Pipi. I'm ready. But I will miss you all, and you the most." She patted Pipi and giggled at Korra's pretend pout.

"Go on now", Korra patted her back, "go save the world."

* * *

Noor took a deep breath and looked around the room at all the faces. Some bewildered, some shocked, some blank. As she finished telling them her journey over the last one year, her time in the Spirit world, her Avatar training, she felt a heavy load lift off her chest. She felt safe, secure, and at home once more.

Suddenly, she felt Keith inch closer but she didn't dare look at him. Recounting her story, she felt the embarrassment of her realization of her feelings for him.

_It's probably just a crush and it'll go away soon. He is a handsome young man after all, and he saved me many times. We just became so close over the last few weeks that it was only natural to be infatuated. Eventually, it will pass._

Noor gulped and sipped her now cold tea in an attempt to regulate her pounding heart and distract herself.

"Wow", Bani broke the silence. "That's...uhuh...that's quite an adventure."

"I'm glad you're safe and in control of your powers now, Noor", Shiro managed a smile.

"I'm relieved too", Noor sighed and smiled back.

"So", Keith's voice drew her attention and she finally looked in his direction, "the terrorist's name is Vaatulika?"

"Yep", Noor replied. "He gave himself that name", she rolled her eyes.

"And harmonic convergence is in a week?"

Noor nodded silently.

"And you have to fight them then?"

Noor nodded again, slower this time.

"And they have that evil spirit thing that will try and take over the good spirit that is now fused within you?"

"Umm…", Noor hesitated, "yes."

Keith frowned and stared at her with an expression Noor couldn't decipher.

"She won't be alone", Hunk spoke, "we're all going to fight them together."

Hunk's reassuring smile eased the atmosphere and slowly, smiles spread across everyone's face.

"Yeah", Keith whispered and pressed her ankle ever so lightly and discreetly. "Together."

Noor felt goosebumps spread up her legs and stood up abruptly.

"I think I need to sleep. I'm really tired", she spoke quickly.

"Yes", Shiro stood up as well, "we all need to rest."

"I can't believe it!" Pidge jumped up and joined Noor as she headed to her room. "We're finally going to Earth!"

* * *

Noor lay in bed unable to sleep. She felt restless and tossed and turned for several hours until she finally sat up with a groan. Kosmo lay by her feet, sound asleep. Sensing her movement, he lifted his head and looked at her. Seeing that there was no imminent danger, he lay back down and dozed off.

"I'm so jealous of you", Noor whispered to the dog and grinned.

Finally, she got out of bed and decided to go for a walk around the ship. She walked softly past everyone's bedrooms and made her way to the observation deck. As she sat by a window, the entire cosmos that lay in front of her took her breath away.

Her first thought was about how her unfortunate circumstances had led her to this fortunate place. Her second thought was how she would soon be back on earth, far away from this view. And her third thought was a question - would her team ever travel together the way they had come together for this mission, once everything was done?

A noise behind her startled Noor and she turned around hastily and stood up, unexpectedly bumping into the person sending them both toppling over. She heard the person yelp as she landed with a thud on his chest. She looked up to see a wincing Keith and quickly scrambled off.

"I'm so sorry!" Noor sat on her knees beside him and helped him up as he rubbed his chest.

"It's okay", Keith chuckled.

"Why...what are you doing here?"

"Just came to enjoy the view...you?"

"Couldn't sleep so came here to enjoy the view as well", Noor shrugged.

"I thought you were really tired."

"I was...am...but just can't seem to fall asleep."

"Is something on your mind?"

"Uhh...not really…"

"Are you worried about harmonic convergence, Noor?" Keith looked at her earnestly.

_That's better than saying 'I'm hung up because of a stupid crush on you, Keith!'_ Noor decided.

"Yep", she sat back by the window. "Yep, that. Harmonic convergence."

Keith eyed her suspiciously but eventually sat beside her and gazed at the shimmering silent expanse that lay before them. After several minutes, he turned to face her.

"Do you miss the spirit world?"

"Yeah", Noor smiled and leaned against the wall facing him. She thought she saw his face fall a little.

"Did you...miss the Olkaship?"

Noor smirked and paused for a second, "I didn't really miss the actual ship per say."

Keith rolled his eyes and grunted, "You know what I mean!"

"No, I really don't", her smirk grew wider.

"Are you really going to make me say it?"

"Make you say what?" Noor continued feigning innocence.

"Fine! Did you miss us!?" Keith crossed his arms across his chest and huffed.

"Every day", Noor's smirk turned into a sad smile and she turned her gaze to the glittering stars and galaxies once more. "But you...all of you kept me going. Because of the team, I have a purpose...an even stronger reason for doing this."

Keith smiled and looked at Noor who was lost in distant thoughts. He felt a warmth spread through his chest and his entire body relax.

"It's good to have you back, Noor."

"It's good to be back."


	33. Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Noor settles back in with the team, a new arrival unsettles her all over again.

* * *

Noor found Luten sitting in the training room the next morning. He had just finished training and was cooling off.

"Hey", she walked over and waved.

"Oh...hey", he fumbled and stood up.

"Done training?"

"Yep. Why? Wanna train?"

"No...actually, I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?"

Noor sat beside him on the table and leaned back.

"Looks like you're family stories were true after all", she chuckled.

"Looks like it", Luten sighed and shook his head. "It's still hard to believe they were fire benders."

"It was kinda strange and cool to meet your...ancestors."

Luten stared at his wrist watch and smiled.

"What does the inscription say", Noor sat up again.

Luten turned the watch over and showed it to Noor.

" _Know your destiny…_ ", Noor read out slowly.

Her eyes widened and she looked at him in surprise.

"That's exactly what your great great…", she frowned and added, "I don't know how many greats...Uncle said to me!"

"What was his name?"

"Uncle Iroh!"

"That's a very common name in my family...just like Luten and Zuko…"

"He was alive all the way back when your family were the rulers of the fire nation", she grinned. "Would you like to know your history?"

"Yes!" Luten's face lit up and he turned to face her excitedly.

"Woah", Luten gasped and ran his fingers through his hair. "That is...quite a…history. Monarchies, wars, dragons, politics, and honor!"

"Apparently lots and lots of honor", Noor chuckled and patted his shoulder. "I just thought you would like to know."

"Thank you", he smiled at her.

Noor saw his expression change from joy to affection. She bit her lip and squirmed under his gaze.

"Luten…", she began, "there's another thing I've been meaning to talk to you about. I...I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to come right out with it", she gulped and turned to face him.

"What is it?"

"For a while now, I...I've sensed that...and I could be wrong...but I've sensed that you have...feelings for me."

An awkward silence followed as Luten was taken aback at the bluntness of her words.

"Ohh...uhh", his face turned red.

"I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable", Noor avoided his gaze. "I don't want to put you in a…"

"No", Luten finally faced her, "it's...it's not...I mean you're not wrong…", he sighed and chuckled. "Sorry, I'm at a loss for words. That was quite...straightforward."

Noor giggled and pinched her forehead, "I know...I'm sorry...I've never been very good at diplomacy."

"That's not a bad thing, you know", Luten leaned forward and moved her hands from her face and held them in his.

"Luten", Noor squeezed his hands, "I...I don't know if I misled you in anyway but...", she pulled her hands away.

"Oh", Luten leaned back as he realized where she was going, "...no Noor...you didn't do anything to...lead me on", he felt his face heat up. "I...it's just me...I really like...I mean as I got to know you more...I just really liked you."

Noor blushed and crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back as well. She saw the sincerity and simplicity on Luten's face and felt her shoulders relax.

"That's always nice to hear", she grinned in embarrassment. "I'm flattered."

"Well...glad to be of service", he grinned.

Both sat silently for a while with lopsided smiles. Noor stared at her swinging legs and Luten rubbed the back of his neck.

"I have to say", he finally spoke and looked at her, "this has to be one of the nicest rejections I've ever had."

"Sounds like you've been rejected a lot", Noor laughed out loud and then froze, "I'm sorry...uh...I didn't…", she shut her eyes and cursed.

Luten chuckled in amusement and patted her arm, "It's alright. As a matter of fact, I've only been rejected once before…"

Noor looked at him suspiciously.

"...and then once more after that. But that's all. Total of three times", he laughed.

"I'm sorry", she sighed and stood up. "I hope this won't make things weird…"

"Hey…", Luten stood in front of her and held her hand, "it won't get weird."

"Thanks", she smiled and gave him a hug.

Luten hugged her tightly in return. As Luten turned to leave, the door opened and Keith walked in.

"Oh...hey...you two", he paused mid step. "I was just...am I disturbing...I can come back later…"

"No", Luten passed by him in the doorway, "I was just leaving", he turned to Noor and smiled, "So...cya later? In training?"

"Yep", she nodded, "...cya."

Keith watched Luten leave and then turned to Noor. Something in their expressions made him feel like he had intruded on a private moment.

"So…", he mumbled as he stepped inside, "everything okay?"

"Yeah", she nodded, "we were just catching up and talking about training stuff."

"Oh...alright...good", Keith muttered.

"Were you going to train?"

"Yep, wanna join?"

"Maybe some other tim…"

Before Noor could finish her sentence, the comm system blared to life.

"Keith", it was Shiro's voice, "there's a message for you...from the Blade of Marmora."

* * *

Noor followed Keith into the control room. On the screen, she saw a familiar face - Pakim - the young Blade who had accompanied Keith and the others on their rescue mission back in Naxzela. As she stepped closer, she noticed another person sitting beside him. She didn't recognize them but they were wearing the Blade uniform too.

"How's everything going?" Keith addressed the two as he sat in front of the screen. "I've been reading the reports and looks like you've done a good job with the new Coalition member."

"Thank you, Sir", Pakim smiled excitedly. "The transition has been quite smooth. How is your…"

Just then, Pidge entered the room and waved at everyone casually as she sipped on a milkshake.

"...mission...uhh...ohh...hello…Dr. Katie", Pakim stuttered.

"Not now, Pakim!" Keith rolled his eyes but Pakim was already flustered and red.

"It seems Pakim is busy staring at Pidge", the other person leaned further into the frame and shoved Pakim aside.

"Yes, seems so", Keith grunted and shook his head. "So why did you call? Something important?"

"Yes", the person frowned. "We might have some reports about the group you've been tracking."

"What?" Keith jumped up. "Where? How?"

"We spotted a suspicious ship heading to Earth. There's a chance it could be them."

Noor observed the person as their conversation continued. They had an intense gaze fixed on Keith the entire time. They had some Galran features but didn't look like the Galrans she had seen on Olkari. Noor thought she saw a softness in the person's eyes despite their stern facial expressions. They seemed very familiar but Noor couldn't place them anywhere. As she tried browsing her memories for where she had seen that face before, she heard someone calling out to her.

"Noor? Noor!"

"Huh!" Noor snapped back to reality and saw Keith staring at her. "Wha...what?"

"Have you been listening? Acxa said the creature might be headed to Earth."

"Oh...creature…", she tried catching up with what Keith was trying to tell her, "...yes...uhuh...Earth."

But she felt her face fall into a mild frown when she heard the person Keith had referred to as Acxa, speak again.

"I should reach you by tonight", she nodded and ended the transmission.

* * *

Noor lay on Pidge's bed, flipping through a book. Ever since Keith had told her the terrorists were also headed to Earth, she had been in a disturbed state with many conflicting emotions. On one hand, she wanted to get there as soon as possible to stop them. But on the other hand, she couldn't push one thought aside.

_Is Earth still my home? I don't have anything or anyone left there. No home. No family. No friends._

"Are you even reading that?" She felt the bed bounce as Pidge plonked herself beside her.

"Huh? Yeah…", she glanced at Pidge who raised an eyebrow, "...no."

"What's going on?"

"Just thinking about Earth…"

"I know! I'm so excited. It's been a month!"

"Just a month?" Noor rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. "It feels like so much longer than that. So much has changed."

"You don't seem that excited."

"I was...but the more I think about it, the more ridiculous it sounds. I mean...I am happy but I...I don't really have anything...anywhere to go back to. No home...no family…"

"I'm so sorry, Noor", Pidge leaned against her shoulder. "But Earth is still your home. And you have us now!"

"Thanks", Noor chuckled. "Now tell me all about this Blade. Who is she?"

"Acxa?"

"Yeah...Acxa...she looks fierce...kinda cute too", Noor smirked.

"Yeah, she is quite hot", Pidge smirked back.

"Ah...does someone have a crush?"

"What? Me?" Pidge laughed and adjusted her glasses. "No way. Plus, I think she has a crush on Keith."

"Wait, what?" Noor sat up abruptly.

"She seems to have a soft spot for him. She risked her life to save his many times. And she has followed him ever since the war."

"Hmm…"

"One time, she saved us after our fight with Lotor, who she fought for at the time, and apparently we had been gone for three years because of time slippage. And when we asked her how she ended up helping us...she said _'I knew I had to find my own path and it led me to you'_...it was sweet but also kinda creepy. But still sweet. And awkward."

"Wow...and what did Keith say?"

"Thank you for saving us."

"Wait...that's all he said?"

"Told you. Awkkwaaardd…"

Noor chuckled and then looked at Pidge carefully.

"So she's been with the Blades ever since?"

"Yup. She is by his side on every relief mission."

"Then why wasn't she here...on this mission?"

"Keith left a mission when he got reports of the prisoners and bases...he left Acxa in charge at the time."

"And now...she's joining us?"

"I'm not entirely sure why she's here."

"Hmm...so are they like...together now?"

Pidge almost laughed out loud.

"Wha...what?" Noor looked startled.

"It's just so funny to think of Keith...with someone. I'm not really sure how he feels. It's hard to read him if you hadn't noticed", Pidge smirked.

"Oh", Noor tried to grin along, "Yeah...totally."

"What's going on with you, huh?" Pidge winked at her.

"Me?" Noor tucked a hair behind her ear, "Nothing...we're...just friends."

"Oh, really? It doesn't seem like you're 'just friends' the way he looks at you!"

"Huh? How does he look at me?"

"You know...with those stupid dopey eyes and that stupid dopey smile", Pidge mimicked the love-struck expression.

"What are you talking about? Keith does _not_ look at me that way…", Noor flicked Pidge on her forehead.

"Ouch! I'm talking about Luten!" Pidge scowled.

"Oh", Noor bit her lower lip. "that…"

"So...you know he has a crush on you right…"

"Yeah…"

"And…?"

"And what? And nothing. In fact I just spoke to him about it earlier..."

"Oh...what did you…oh my god...wait...are you two?" Pidge gasped in excitement.

"No...no!" Noor shook her head vigorously. "I told him...I don't feel the same way, Pidge."

"That must have been awkward."

"Actually, it wasn't all that bad. He understood and we hugged it out."

"Boring!" Pidge grunted. "Where's the drama! I need some action."

"Seriously?" Noor raised an eyebrow. "With everything that's going on...you still need more action?"

"You're probably right", Pidge pouted. "That reminds me...I need to talk to Keith. Come on, let's go."

* * *

Acxa arrived right after dinner. Noor watched as the entire group welcomed her and the conversation turned to Blade projects. For the first time, since she had joined the team, she felt like an outsider. It dawned on her that everyone else had history together. Years and years of friendship, companionship, adventures, struggles.

She shook off her insecurities and joined them in the lounge as Pidge went over to Keith to discuss something. She took a seat on a corner couch by the window and leaned back with her book. Kosmo appeared beside her and lay down comfortably on her leg. Noor chuckled and played with the pup's ears.

Every now and then, she glanced over at the team. Keith was immersed in the reports Acxa had brought along. There were rising tensions within the coalition members and the conflict was beginning to affect the relief work. It had gotten to a point where Acxa had wanted Keith to take charge once more before all their hard work went down the drain.

As much as Noor didn't want to accept it, she could feel a slight dread creeping up on her. A tiny scared voice inside her head kept obsessing over a single question.

_Will Keith go back to the Blades now?_

She didn't see any reason why Keith wouldn't leave immediately. After all, they had found out everything they had wanted to. Who the creature was. What it wanted to do. What her powers were. She was now a fully realized Avatar and she would be the one who would have to fight the creature and put an end to the chaos it wanted to unleash.

As far as the others were concerned, their half of the mission was complete. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of this whole journey coming to and end. Whether it was tonight or after Harmonic convergence, this was the inevitable outcome. The mission would end sometime. And everyone would eventually go back to their own homes.

Noor's thoughts were interrupted by laughter. She looked up to see Pidge and Hunk rolling on the couch and floor, clutching their sides. And a flushed Keith glaring at them while Shiro looked on in amusement.

"Can we just focus on the issue at hand!?" Keith groaned and dragged his hand down his face.

"Are you referring to the issue that the Coalition isn't getting along or the issue that you are still oblivious to Acxa's crush."

"Just to clarify", Acxa seemed unaffected by the taunts, "I do not have a crush on Keith."

Everyone stopped laughing hearing Acxa address the teasing for the first time. Unfortunately for Noor, who didn't anticipate the silence, everyone heard her mimicking the conversation to Kosmo in a ridiculous voice. She covered her mouth a second too late as everyone stared at her.

"What's so funny?" Hunk asked an embarrassed Noor.

"Yeah, Noor", Pidge gave her a sly smile, "I didn't think you of all people would find this 'funny'..."

"What does that mean?" Keith turned to Pidge.

"Nothing!" Noor exclaimed and glared at Pidge.

She closed her book and stood up.

"I was just reading out loud", she feigned a yawn. "I think I'm going to read in my room in silence."

With that she walked away hurriedly.

* * *

"You're up early", Keith walked over to Noor as she punched the bag.

"Just training. Why are you up so early?"

"I was looking over the progress reports from the Blade projects."

"With Acxa?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing", she paused to catch her breath. She began walking towards the table and picked up her daggers.

"Not done yet?"

"Nope."

"Going to spar alone?"

"Are you volunteering?" She shot him a challenging look.

"Sure", Keith stepped up and grabbed his blade.

Noor eyed him as she walked back to the mat. She spun her daggers around her fingers.

"Go on, then", she smirked at Keith. "Spar with me."

Keith observed her face. There was something in her expression that seemed almost angry. He could tell she was looking for a fight. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to give her what she wanted.

"Oh for crying out loud...let's do this already", Noor groaned and ran towards him, clicking her daggers and wearing them across her knuckles.

She swiped them at him as she approached, and as Keith prepared to shield himself, she stepped to one side unexpectedly and spun around and kicked his knee. Keith was taken aback and his legs caved at the impact. Before he could regain his balance, Noor twisted his arm behind his back and held a dagger up to his neck.

"Well that was easy", she grunted, pressing the dagger into his skin, nicking him a little.

"I'm just getting warmed up", Keith said as he caught her hand with his free arm and yanked her hand away from his neck.

He twisted her arm and pulled her around. Noor lost her grip on his arm as she tumbled forward. Keith stood up and spun her, twisting her arm behind her back and pointing his dagger at her side. Noor growled and with a flick of the wrist, grazed his hand with her dagger. Keith jumped back as she made contact and Noor used the brief moment to elbow him in the stomach. She turned around as he reeled forward and her hand came flying at his face.

Keith reacted quickly and deflected her punch and stepped back. Noor didn't stop. She ran forward and landed her entire foot on his chest, kicking him backwards. She took a breath and stepped back, smirking.

"Warmed up yet?"

Keith could feel his anger rising now. He grunted and straightened himself, pulling his dagger out. He lunged forward and as Noor began to evade him, he slid towards her. His leg found her ankle and he threw her off balance.

Noor used her momentum to turn on her side as she fell back, and her other foot slice through the air and found Keith's chin, sending him reeling to one side as well. She stood up hastily and took a defensive stance, ready for his next attack.

"That was good", Keith stood up and grabbed his jaw. "Looks like you've been spending a lot of time _training_ with Luten."

Noor paused for a moment taken aback. She thought she heard a taunt in his words.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she replied.

"Nothing, just that maybe you should spar more with him. You two seem to work well together."

"Maybe you should spar with Acxa instead", Noor blurted before she realized the words that came out of her mouth.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Keith frowned.

"Nothing", Noor smirked feeling glad to have turned the tables on him. "Just that maybe she would be a better sparring partner for you. Both so _emo_ , so _serious_ , such _brave_ Blades...perfect for each other", she nearly spat out the last words.

Before he could respond, Noor ran towards him once more and kept swiping at different parts of his body, giving him no leeway to attack her back. He dodged and evaded as she came for his arm, his chest, his thighs.

He finally found his opening when she lifted her arms to come for his shoulders. He grabbed both her wrists and pulled her arms down, twisting them enough to loosen her grip on the daggers. Noor struggled to free herself from his grip. She grunted in frustration as she failed at freeing herself. She glared at him and finally brought her foot down aggressively, stomping on his foot.

Keith yelled in pain and let her arms go. Noor immediately grabbed his shirt and pushed him down to the mat. She placed one foot on his arm and pushed his chest down with her other knee and held her dagger at his neck. She smiled as she slowly dragged the blade across the other side of his neck, leaving behind another small cut.

He watched her, too stunned to retaliate. Her eyes followed the dagger as it made its way across his skin. Her smile turned into a smirk as she pulled the dagger back. When her eyes met his, she gave him an angry glare and stood up. She turned around and began walking back, her hands limp by her sides.

"Done already?" He called out.

Noor paused and took a deep breath. She lifted her head and stared at the lights above them. She felt her anger grow. If he wanted more, she would give him more.

She spun her daggers around and clicked them together. She closed her eyes and focussed, willing it to turn into a double sided sword. Nothing. She exhaled and turned around to face Keith once more. He smirked and began walking towards her spinning his blade around. Within seconds, it had transformed into a sword.

He ran forward and held it up, ready to bring it down. Noor felt tears burn the back of her eyes and she couldn't understand why. Suddenly she felt a tingling sensation in her hands. She looked down and saw the double sided dagger turn into a sword. She felt a power surge up from her hands to her entire body.

She ran ahead at a startled Keith and blocked his sword before it could come any closer to her. She pushed it back with all her might and began spinning her sword between them, stepping forward with each circle. Keith kept stepping back barely able to block her.

With one final grunt, Noor lashed at his sword and he lost his grip. His sword fell to his side and the next thing he knew, Noor was pointing the tip of her blade at his chest. He swiped at it and shoved it to one side and grabbed her by the arm. As she reeled to one side he turned her and wrapped his arms around her firmly, restricting all her upper body movement.

She struggled and kicked her legs about trying to wriggle free. With one final yell she threw her body back with all her energy, breaking his balance and they both fell. Keith grunted and before he could catch his breath, he felt her scramble to pick up the sword and sit atop him.

She had a fierce look in her eyes as she held the sword to his chest. He watched as the sword turned back into a dagger. She leaned forward and pushed the blade further into his skin before nicking him in the chest for a third time.

"Congratulations", Keith whispered as he felt the blade press against him. "Looks like you finally made the connection with your daggers. Luten will be _so_ happy."

Noor grit her teeth and held the dagger close to his jaw. She gave him another cut and smirked.

"I guess your _girlfriend_ won't be too happy seeing these cuts", she whispered mockingly. "Should I watch my back? I've heard she gets _very_ angry when someone hurts you."

Neither moved for several seconds. Finally Noor stood up and stomped away. She whizzed her daggers onto the table and left the room without looking back.

* * *

"So you wanted some action, right?"

"What?" Pidge turned around to see Noor leaning against her doorway.

"Action...drama...you wanted some drama…"

"Ooo", Pidge sat up excited."Yup...gimme…"

"I have a crush on Keith. And he doesn't. And he most likely thinks I'm with Luten. And I just had a nasty spar with him. And cut him several times with my daggers. Looks like you have your wish. Congratulations…"

"Uhh...wha...when...huhhh..", Pidge blinked several times and fumbled for words.

"Yup", Noor popped her lips and banged her head against the door. "I'm gonna go flush myself down the toilet now."

"You'll just get stuck in the plumbing…"

"Well...then I'm gonna go eject myself into the endless cosmic void and float around until something eats me up."

"That'll be more effective. Good luck."

"Thanks."

* * *

As Noor walked to dining area, she noticed Keith wasn't there. She huffed and sat beside Pidge in her usual spot. She picked at her food and avoided all conversation. She looked up when Keith entered. To her surprise, he didn't take his usual spot beside her. Instead he sat across her. She could feel Pidge's eyes on her.

She controlled her building rage and grit her teeth. She felt more annoyed at herself than anyone else. Acxa came in a few minutes later and sat beside Keith. Noor could feel her blood boiling and she was screaming at herself internally, chiding herself for being so affected by everything.

_You have to let go, Noor!_

Her eyes remained fixed on her plate as she repeated the words to herself, when she heard a voice beside her.

"Is this seat taken?"

Noor startled and looked up. It was Luten. She looked at the seat next to her and back to the smiling face. She shook her head half heartedly and returned her gaze to the food. She had lost her appetite. She had already given up on the rest of the day. When she had finished her meal, she heard Hunk address her.

"Looks like you didn't enjoy my cooking today, Noor."

"Huh…? Oh...no, it's amazing as always."

"You didn't rave like you normally do", Hunk frowned teasingly.

"Sorry, I was just..."

"I'm surprised you're not eyeing the empty muffin basket", Pidge smirked.

Noor glared at her.

"Do you want some of my muffin?" Luten offered with a smile.

Noor looked at his face and then at his hand that held half a muffin. She felt more irritation rise in her and shook her head.

"No thanks", she replied more angrily than she had meant to.

Keith looked up in surprise as he saw the girl pick up her plate and leave the table. She dropped her plate into the sink and walked out of the cafeteria.

* * *

Noor lay on her bed tossing and turning. Finally, she gave up and sat up with a groan. She leaned back against the wall and dragged her hands down her face. Just then, Kosmo appeared on her bed.

She reached out to pet him but paused when she noticed a parcel tied around his neck. Curious and confused, she took it off and opened it. Her eyes opened wide as she unwrapped it and saw half a muffin. Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled, feeling the ever present anger in her subside.

She sighed and laughed softly, petting dog and ate the muffin.

Keith lay back, resting his head on both his arms. His mind kept hovering over the strange events of the day. He heard Kosmo appear and sat up. He hadn't expected the dog to come back. He had a parcel. Keith opened it and to his surprise, it contained first aid items and a note. He unfolded the note.

_Sorry about earlier. Sending something for the cuts._

He rolled his eyes when he saw the cartoon characters printed on the bandaid.

"I am _not_ putting that on my cuts", Keith muttered to Kosmo.

He turned the note around and sure enough, there was another line.

_Thanks for the muffin! And enjoy the colorful band-aids!_

He shook his head and smiled. He felt a warmth spread across his chest. He had been trying not to read too much into the incident at breakfast. He chalked it down to her bad mood. Noor would never reject a muffin unless she was in a very bad mood.

"What do you think, boy?" Keith grinned at the telepup, not sure what his own question meant.

Kosmo cocked his head to one side and blinked at him.

"Yeah, I don't understand it either."


	34. The tales of Olkaship - Hunk and Luten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tales from the Olkaship as the team makes their way back to Earth. The title is an homage to the 'Tales of Ba Sing Se' episode in 'Avatar: the last air bender'.

* * *

"Three days," Luten sighed.

"Yep," Hunk replied. "Three days to get back to Earth."

They both sat across from each other as a gentle hum lingered in the background.

"How much longer?" Luten finally spoke after several seconds of silence.

Hunk turned his attention to the humming oven and peered in.

"Few more minutes…"

"So what exactly is it?" Luten peered inside as well.

"It doesn't have a name...yet."

"So it's a new invention?"

"Yep."

"And I'm the...guinea pig?"

"Yep," Hunk grinned.

"Hmm," Luten gulped and nodded hesitantly.

"Don't worry. Or have you forgotten that I'm a universe renowned chef?"

"No! It's not that. I just…"

Just then, the oven alarm pinged prompting Hunk to leap off his stool and rest his face against the oven door.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

Luten bent forward and eyed the dish carefully. It had a green base, the texture of which was somewhere between spongy and leathery. On top of that, was a purple layer of a harder crystalline texture. In between the purple glimmer, he could see shades of maroon flickering. All around the surface of that were yellow blobs shaped like candle flames. They looked creamy and wavy but were stiff as marzipan. But they weren't.

In fact, nothing in the dish was what it looked like. Hunk had gathered odd ingredients from every corner of the Olkaship kitchen and decided to experiment. When Luten walked in on the happy, singing chef, he had been more than happy to be the taste tester. But on seeing the bizarre set of ingredients, his confidence and enthusiasm had wavered.

Now, as Hunk slowly lifted the dish out of the oven, the last strands of his enthusiasm and keenness were broken and his mind raced as he tried to come up with a way to escape.

"Here!" Hunk smiled brightly. "Have a bite!"

Luten stared at the mouthful Hunk had scooped up for him. He bit his lips and eventually gave in.

_This is Hunk after all. He is the best chef in all of the known universes!_

Reassured by this thought, Luten took a deep breath and ate the contents on the spoon. He chewed slowly at first but as the flavors began to release and blend in his mouth, he quickened his pace and sighed in contentment.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes," Luten nodded and managed to say between bites. "It's heaven."

After downing several spoonfuls, Luten paused and looked at a beaming Hunk.

"What's in this!?" He exclaimed.

"Oh, just things I found around here. They smelled really nice!"

"Well," Luten focussed on the dish once more, "whatever they are...they're delicious!"

* * *

"Is Luten not coming for dinner?" Bani asked as she looked around for the missing Luten.

"Oh...uhh," Hunk rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled. "He can't."

"Can't what?"

"Can't come for dinner?"

"Why?"

"He's...he's sick."

"Sick!? What happened to him?" Pidge asked.

"Food poisoning", Hunk said softly.

"How?!"

"He was the taste tester for one of my kitchen experiments this morning," Hunk lowered his head.

"What was in the dish!?" Noor's curiosity was piqued.

"Umm..."

"Hunk?" Shiro probed.

"Okay, okay! Fine!" Hunk stood up and threw his arms up in surrender. "The green stuff turned out to be space glue that's used for fixing cracks and holes. And the purple stuff apparently is the way the Olkari store their biodegradable waste."

"Wow," Noor raised her eyebrows, "that would do it..."

"That's not all", Hunk's voice lowered. "There was a yellow marzipan like dough."

"And what was that?" Pidge leaned forward.

"That…," Hunk pulled at his shirt collar and cleared his throat, "that was an...insect...repelling...treat."

"Insect. Repelling. Treat." Noor repeated.

"You mean rat poison!?" Pidge jumped up.

"What? You gave him rat poison!"

"I...I didn't know..."

Just then, the door slid open and in walked Luten, looking haggard and weak.

"He does _not_ look good," Bani shook her head. "I'm going to get him some medicines."

As she walked by Luten, she placed her fingers on his neck.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Not great," Luten managed to reply in a croaky voice.

"I'll get you some medicines that will help."

As Bani left, Luten made his way to the dining table.

"You should be resting," Noor pursed her lips.

"I just needed a change of scenery. I've been in my bed all day. And also, Hunk…" he turned to face the worried chef. "I have a name for that dish. Wanna know what it is?"

Before Hunk could reply, Luten spoke again.

"The liquidator."


	35. The tales of Olkaship - Shiro and Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tales from the Olkaship as the team makes their way back to Earth. The title is an homage to the 'Tales of Ba Sing Se' episode in 'Avatar: the last airbender'.

* * *

"Shiro...I need to talk...oh! Sorry, I can come back la…"

"Keith?! Is that you?" A voice shrieked from a screen that also held the beaming face that had screamed his name.

"Hi, Curtis. I'm sorry. I didn't know Shiro was video chatting with you," Keith remained at the door.

"Come in, say hello," Shiro waved him over with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Keith rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Oh for god's sake," Curtis groaned, "just come in and join us!"

Keith smiled and walked in, closing the door behind him. He sat beside Shiro in the conference room and waved at Curtis.

"Shiro was just telling me that you all are heading back to Earth! Finally!"

"Yeah...sorry about kidnapping Shiro...this has gone on for longer than we initially expected."

"I understand...it's just a pity," he shook his head, "those poor people. I'm glad you were able to help Noor though."

Keith's ears perked up upon hearing Curtis mention Noor.

"You know Noor?"

"Yes, I do," Curtis smirked, "Shiro told me everything...and I mean everything."

"Uh...huh? What does _everything_ mean?"

"I mean about her trip to this spirit world place and her awesome powers. Why? What did you think?" Curtis' smirk grew wider.

"Uhh…," Keith cleared his throat, "nothing...I was just confused."

"What happened to your neck?" Shiro interrupted. "Where did you get these marks from?"

"Ooo…," Curtis clapped his hands together in excitement, "what marks? Are those hicki…"

"Cuts!" Keith blurted in embarrassment, "they're cuts."

He immediately regretted those words though, anticipating the next query and trying to think of a lie to explain the wounds.

"How did you get these cuts?" Shiro asked, his face full of concern.

"Umm...I...during training," Keith cleared his throat.

 _That's not a lie, technically._ He thought to himself.

"How on earth does one cut themself during training?" Curtis frowned. "I thought the bots have fake weapons."

"Uhh...they do...but I…"

"Keith?" Shiro looked at him with an unwavering stern gaze. "How did you get them?"

"Fine…," Keith sighed and touched the cut on his neck, "Noor…"

"Wait, why did she..."

"We were sparring...it was an accident!" Keith replied in an attempt to evade the questions. "It's really not a big deal."

"Those don't look like accidental cuts from a misplaced dagger," Shiro frowned. "Those look like slow intentional nicks."

"Ooo, kinky!"

"Curtis!" Both Shiro and Keith exclaimed together, Shiro with a chuckle and Keith with a flushed embarrassment.

"It's not…," Keith stuttered, "like...it's not like...that...we...she…"

"He's just joking, calm down," Shiro patted him on the back gently.

"But seriously though," Curtis leaned forward, a solemn expression replacing his grin. "What is going on between you two?"

"Huh? Nothing. Where did you get that idea fro…"

Keith slowly turned towards Shiro who was pursing his lips and looking at the ceiling in silence, clearly avoiding his gaze.

"What have you been telling him?" Keith eyed Shiro suspiciously.

"Nothing much, just some...observations."

"Observations?"

Shiro didn't speak for a few seconds and Keith was about to repeat his question when Curtis replied.

"Oh, come on Shiro. You don't need to hide it from him. Shiro thinks Luten and Noor are together. Isn't that exciting!?" Curtis smiled widely.

The words caught Keith off guard and for a second he couldn't comprehend what he had just heard. But soon enough, he found his voice again.

"WHAT?!" He jumped up. "Noor and...they're dating!?" He looked from a nodding Curtis to a silent Shiro and back. "When did...how did...how do you know this?!"

"I think it was recently. Wasn't it, Shiro? I think after she came back from the spirit world."

Keith's mind was in a daze. Visions of Noor hugging him in the pod when her spirit returned to her body flashed across his mind, but were soon after followed by visions of the time he had walked into the training room to find a very serious Noor and Luten. Somehow, at the time, he had felt like he had interrupted something important.

 _Maybe that's when he...asked her out?_ Keith felt his heart sink.

Seeing his face drop, Shiro shook his head and pulled him back down by his arm.

"Stop it, Curtis. That's enough."

"Fine," Curtis giggled, "look at the poor boy's face. You were right, Shiro. He is love-struck."

"What?!" Keith returned to his senses.

"I was just joking with you. I wanted to see if Shiro's observations were right. You do like her," Curtis smiled and waved his finger at Keith.

"I do not...I just…"

"Admit it," Curtis interrupted.

"I do not…"

"Just admit it," Shiro nudged him.

Surprised at his teasing, Keith remained silent and then finally took a deep breath.

"Alright, I may think...that she is...very nice."


	36. The tales of Olkaship - Pidge and Noor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tales from the Olkaship as the team makes their way back to Earth. The title is an homage to the 'Tales of Ba Sing Se' episode in 'Avatar: the last airbender'.

* * *

"I. AM. SO. BORED."

"Do you want to talk about…"

"I said no, Pidge! Three times already!"

"Fine, Noor," Pidge snapped back just as saltily. "You were the one who said you were bored. I was just trying to help you."

"I regret saying anything to you that night," Noor rolled her eyes and fell back on the bed.

"But you did," Pidge smirked. "And you haven't said anything since. And you have been avoiding Keith."

"No, I haven't...I've been training a lot."

"Uhuh," Pidge smirked wider and rolled onto her back beside Noor.

"No, really. Just another day to Earth and then two more days to harmonic convergence."

Both remained silent as the last two words hung heavy in the air. Both were at a loss for words. Pidge knew the gravity of such a situation and the stress that burdened Noor.

Noor felt a sudden warmth enclose her hand and looked down to see Pidge's hand resting on hers, comfortingly. She looked at the girl who gave her a gentle smile and smiled back. Something in the touch was reassuring. Because Pidge understood. She had been in a life or death battle before, one on which the entire fate of the universe hinged upon. She understood. In the truest sense of the word. And that felt good.

"Thank you," Noor intertwined her fingers with Pidge's and squeezed her hand.

"Always," Pidge smiled. "We've all got your back."

"That's good to know," Noor chuckled.

"Especially Keith," Pidge giggled and nudged her.

"Oh, shut up!" With a groan Noor sat up once more, tossing Pidge's hand aside and resumed reading her book.

But the more she tried to focus on the words, the more she thought about Keith, about harmonic convergence, about returning to Earth, about what Yue had said about letting go of attachments, and about the last vision she had seen when she was trapped with Keith in the abyss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who don't remember: The reference to the last vision in the abyss can be found in Chapter 27.


	37. Back to Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With two days left for Harmonic Convergence, the team finally reaches Earth.

* * *

"Alright, team", Shiro stood in front of everyone in the control room. "We have two days until harmonic convergence. I order you to take tomorrow off. Go spend time with your loved ones. Recharge yourself. We have a big battle ahead of us."

She slipped out of the room and headed outside. She used the wind and darted away, sitting atop a cloud of air. She wandered the vast expanse mindlessly until a rocky outcrop caught her eye. She stopped there and was amazed at the view. She could look at the endless land in all directions and the never-ending horizon. The garrison was far away and looked like a tiny hut from where she stood.

She sighed in relief as all her worries and thoughts seemed to shrink down to an equally insignificant size as she sat down and gazed at the sunset. She was blown away by the sight, the colors, the breeze, the silence. All of it. Her heart was filled with many emotions as she looked back over the last one month of her life. She closed her eyes and let the sad, comforting, grateful tears slide out.

"Mind if I join you?"

Noor didn't open her eyes. She nodded and turned her face upwards towards the sky. She leaned back on her arms and took in a deep breath, willing her tears to return in as well. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at the person beside her.

"Hi…", she smiled.

"Hi…", Keith smiled back.

"What are you doing here?"

"Came to see the sunset too," he leaned back as well.

"It's beautiful. I've missed Earth's sunsets."

"Breathtaking", he whispered and they sat in silence.

"Has everyone left?" Noor finally spoke.

"Yeah."

"I thought you would be heading to Shiro's by now."

"Yeah…", Keith turned towards her. "You should come."

"No", Noor curled her lips inwards and shook her head softly. "I think I'll skip."

"Why?"

Noor remained silent.

"Noor", Keith leaned in, "I know what you feel. I've been there. When Voltron came back to Earth to fight against the Galra, everyone was so excited. When we landed, everyone ran into the arms of their loved ones. And I...I didn't have anyone here...waiting for me."

"What about your mother?"

"She was with the Blades. My point is, I know what it's like to feel like a stranger when everyone is surrounded by their own families. But it doesn't have to be that way. I know I have a mother and I still have a home so I wasn't in your exact situation but..."

"Your home?" Noor interrupted.

"Yeah, it's not too far away from here. It's where me and my pops lived. I lived there my whole life. Even after he…", Keith paused and then his eyes lit up after a few seconds, "Do you want to see it? I can take you there after dinner at Shiro's. What do you say?" Keith jumped up and held out his hand.

Noor hesitated but then gave him a resigned smile and stood up. She followed him to his hoverbike and sat behind him.

"You good?" He turned his head towards her while handing her a helmet.

"Yeah."

"Alright, hold on. There's something I want to show you first that will definitely make you feel better."

* * *

"Noor! You came!" Shiro opened the door and exclaimed. "Come on in!"

Noor hesitantly followed Keith in. She felt like she was crossing a new line as she entered into Shiro's private space. He seemed different in his regular clothes and in a regular human earth setting. His house was warm and inviting and there were photos everywhere. She looked around in awe.

"Keith!" She heard another voice exclaim.

She turned to see a man wearing an apron rush over and embrace Keith.

"And you must be Noor", he smiled.

Noor nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. She began extending a hand but was pulled into an embrace instead.

"It's nice to finally meet you!"

Noor was stunned but managed a few polite words.

"Thanks...it's nice to meet you too."

"Noor", Shiro chuckled and stood beside her, "this is my husband, Curtis."

"Thank you for having me over."

"Not a problem! The more the merrier", Curtis grinned. "I could use more hungry mouths. I've cooked way too much food for three people."

"Well then you're in luck", Keith smirked. "Noor is a vacuum."

Noor felt herself turn red and looked at her feet.

"Is that so? Great! Come with me", Curtis locked her arm in his and led her to the dining area.

She glared at Keith as she was dragged inside, only to get an amused chuckle in return. Keith watched the flustered girl follow Curtis and crossed his arms across his chest smiling.

"I'm glad you brought her along", Shiro stood next to him.

"Oh..yeah…", Keith looked around at the room casually, "I just ran into her and asked if she…."

"Is that so?"

Keith looked at Shiro and dropped his shoulders.

"Fine. Yeah, I found her at the rocks."

"Ahh...sunset point?"

"Yep", Keith shrugged.

"And then?"

"And what? Nothing happened!"

"Nothing?" he tilted his head towards the window where the hoverbike stood. "It's covered in dust and debris."

"Oh…", Keith rubbed the back of his neck, "yeah...I...showed her the cliff dive."

"Thought so", Shiro smirked at Keith.

"What? It was no big deal. I've done it a thousand times before."

"And how many of those times was with someone you were trying to impress?"

"WHAT?!" keith blurted. "I was not trying to impress her. She was just...sad...and I was trying to…"

"Cheer her up? By doing a death stunt?"

"Yeah...wait..what...no...I mean...believe it or not, she loved it. It made her feel better. Wanted to do it herself."

"Please tell me you didn't…"

"No", Keith grinned.

"But you promised you would…"

"Oh", Keith cleared his throat. "Yeah. I promised her I would teach her how to do it."

Shiro chuckled and shook his head. He placed his arm around the boy's shoulder and led him to the dining area.

* * *

"Do you have more food, Curtis?" Keith smirked. "This may not be enough for all of us because of", he pointed to Noor who was bringing over a basket of bread.

Noor frowned as she placed the basket on the table. With a flick of her wrist she sent a dagger at his arm that was reaching out for a bread and pinned it down to the table by his sleeve.

"Hey!" Keith scowled.

"No weapons at the table!" Shiro scolded them while laughing.

"Okay, Space dad", Noor teased and called back her dagger.

Everyone burst out laughing.

"I'm glad _that's_ catching on", he rolled his eyes.

"How did that even begin?" Noor asked as she sat down opposite Keith.

"Because of this guy", Shiro gestured towards Keith who sat beside him.

"What?!" Noor raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because he was such a handful. Always getting into trouble at the academy. And I was the one they always called and would get him out of trouble and keep him in check yatayatata."

"Aww", Noor taunted Keith, "what a grumpy emo angsty teen he must have been. _Space dad to the rescue_ ", she spoke in a baby voice.

"Shut up", Keith frowned.

"Aww look at the baby pouting!" She began giggling as Keith's face turned red.

"Now come on", Curtis sat beside her and placed the last dish on the table. "Leave him alone…"

"Thank you!" Keith smiled gratefully.

"...he's not a baby anymore...that's a _man_ pouting right there."

Noor covered her mouth as she erupted into laughter. She yelped when she felt a kick at her foot. She saw Keith give her a smug grin and she grunted and kicked him back. Keith jumped up in pain. He rubbed his ankle and glowered at her.

"Stop it, you two!" Shiro intervened.

"Let's eat!" Curtis announced and patted her back.

* * *

"We need to take photos!" Curtis exclaimed after dinner with the helper bot by his side.

"Here we go", Shiro rolled his eyes, "You see all these photos...guess who has a bad habit of taking a million photos every day?"

"It's a brilliant habit."

"You don't know when to stop."

"Is that such a bad thing", Curtis smirked and sat on the armrest beside Shiro.

Noor and Keith tried to stifle their chuckles as a flustered Shiro coughed and cleared his throat.

"Aww look at that", Curtis grinned at Noor, "like baby like space dad."

Noor burst out laughing as Keith choked on his drink.

"See", Curtis winked.


	38. Photographs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the family dinner and photo session, Keith takes Noor to see his childhood home.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here for the night?" Curtis frowned as Noor wore her shoes.

"I'm sure", Noor smiled back, "I'll just go sleep in my room. Plus I want to get some stuff done before…", she paused and dropped her gaze, "...harmonic convergence."

"Alright", Curtis sighed and gave her a long hug. "I'm so glad I met you. You should visit more often."

"I will", Noor whispered as she returned the hug.

"Hear that, guys?" Curtis smirked as he pulled back. "She said she will visit...I have witnesses, Noor...Keith", he turned to the boy, "make sure she does."

Keith nodded and hugged Shiro and Curtis. As Noor stepped out of the house, Curtis handed a small box over to Keith.

"Here...it's some of the photos from today."

"You know…", Noor mumbled to Keith , "you don't _have_ to leave."

"How will you get back to the ship?"

"Umm…", Noor rolled her eyes and threw some wind in his face making him sputter and step back, "I can just...airbend myself there you know."

"Oh...yeah…", Keith straightened his hair. "It's alright, don't you want to see my house?"

"Oh, yes! Can I drive?" She smiled mischievously.

"No way."

"Please…."

"You're going to try the cliff dive aren't you?"

"No."

Keith continued looking at her.

"Fine", she pouted, "Yes."

"Exactly. I'm driving."

* * *

Noor walked around the living room eyeing the many books that were scattered about.

She sat down by a large pile and picked one off the top.

"The little prince…", she read to herself and flipped through the book.

"It's a classic", Keith responded as he entered the room with a box.

"Any good?"

"I have a feeling you'll like it", he grinned as he placed the box on a table and left again to search for something.

Noor walked over and looked through the many photos Curtis had taken.

There was the one with all four of them, Keith and Noor sandwiched between Shiro and Curtis. If she didn't know better, she would have called that a family photo. Either way, it was a small but happy family.

The next one was Shiro and Curtis. The next six, in fact, were Shiro and Curtis. Smiling, hugging, laughing. She laughed at one in particular where Curtis was pulling Shiro's cheek and Shiro was frowning. And right after that they had looked at each other lovingly and the moment had been captured perfectly.

She saw the one of Shiro and Keith. Shiro's arm placed around his shoulder. Shiro had a proud smile on his face. Noor saw Keith's face and grinned. He looked like a young kid. It was easy to forget that he was a young kid. All of them were. But with Shiro, Keith loosened up. He really did love the man.

There were many of Curtis and her striking hilarious poses and in one of them the bot had managed to capture Keith and Shiro partially, as they covered their faces in embarrassment.

There was a photo of Shiro and Curtis lifting her off the ground unexpectedly. There was one of Keith being sandwiched between Shiro and Curtis. There was a photo of the three team members standing tall and smiling. Shiro had his arm around her waist as Noor leaned in and smiled. Keith stood beside her and her hand rested across his back on his shoulder.

As Noor moved the photo to the bottom of the deck, the next photo caught her off guard. After Shiro, Keith and her taken the last photo, Curtis had made her and Keith stay in place.

" _We need a pic of you two as well!"_

" _Uhh..us?"_

" _Yes! The young kids...do space dad proud! Smile for the camera!"_

At that moment, Kosmo had leapt into frame and stood up on his hind legs, falling forward on Noor. She giggled in surprise and held his paws as he landed on her chest. She tried to maintain balance and felt Keith's hands on her arms as he helped her manage Kosmo's weight. They chuckled in amusement as Kosmo barked and licked her.

She held the photos and saw the frozen moments. Her eyes were wide open in the first one as Kosmo leapt towards her. Keith hadn't noticed and was looking at the camera awkwardly. In the next one, they both were turned towards Kosmo and Noor had held the dog's paws against her chest. In the third, her eyes were barely open as she squealed in delight at the dog licking her face. Keith was smiling as he held her steady by her arms. And in the last one, she was looking at Keith and they smiled at each other as Kosmo smiled at the camera, his tongue hanging out.

She quickly shuffled the photos to the bottom of the stack and dropped them into the box as Keith returned with some pins. Noor leaned back against the table as Keith picked out a few photos and walked over to a wall that was covered in photos pinned to a cork board. She saw him pick one and place it around the board trying to find a good spot in the ever growing collage the wall.

She walked over and peered over his shoulder. It was the photo of him, Shiro and Curtis. She smiled at their diverse expressions. Curtis was ruffling a grinning Keith's hair while Shiro looked at them with a gentle smile.

"There", Noor reached out and moved his hand that held the photo to a spot, "put it here. This looks good."

Keith smiled and put a pin in the photo at the position Noor held it at. He picked up another photo and looked at her expectantly. She glanced at the photo of Shiro and Keith and scanned the board and walked over to a spot on the extreme left. She pointed her finger to a patch beside an old pic of a young Keith and Shiro in the academy.

"Look at you...baby Keith in his little uniform", Noor smirked.

Keith grunted and pinned the photo there.

"What about this?" he held a third photo out to Noor.

Noor paused as she took the photo. It was one with all four of them. She and Keith were sandwiched between Shiro and Curtis, who hugged them. Although it was more of Curtis piling everyone together and forcing them into a tight squish.

"Oh…", she mumbled.

"Where should I put it?" Keith stood beside her.

"Umm…", Noor looked at him taken aback. "This one? You want to put this one up? Here? In your house?"

"Yes. Now tell me where", he chuckled and took the photo from her hand.

Noor blinked a few times and then proceeded to scan the board. She could feel tears burning the back of her eyes. She looked higher up the board in an attempt to roll them back where they came from.

"There", she pointed to a patch higher up almost out of sight, trying to control the quiver in her voice.

"No", Keith frowned and then placed it next to a group photo further down. "This is better."

Noor took in a deep breath to ensure her tears stayed put. Slowly, she turned her eyes towards the spot Keith was pinning the photo at. The group photo beside it was a recent photo of the entire Voltron gang on the Planet Altea. They were standing in front of the memorial statue for Queen Allura.

And now, next to that was the photo of her, Keith, Shiro and Curtis.

"Yeah", her voice trembled, "that...that's fine too."

"You okay?"

Noor nodded and continued looking at their photo. Keith walked over to the box once more and shuffled through. She saw him hold a couple of photos and look at them over and over as if trying to pick one.

"More?"

"Last one", he grinned.

"Let's see", she browsed the entire wall, "where can we add one more…."

"I already know where I'm putting this one", Keith whispered.

Noor turned to face him. She saw him smile and pin the photo beside one of him, Krolia and Kosmo. Her heart began racing as she saw the photo of her and Keith smiling at each other while Kosmo smiled at the camera.

"What do you think? This good?" Keith asked.

Noor stood in front of it and ran her fingers over the smooth surface. The image was crisp and fresh unlike some of the other older photos that were up on the wall. The ink was glossy and it made it look as if their eyes and smiles had a twinkle in them.

She looked at her smile. It was the smile of someone who was comfortable, happy, safe, and at home. She felt the burn return and this time, the tears made their way out and left a hot trail along her cheek.

"It's perfect", she whispered.

"Are you okay?" Keith turned to face her.

Noor chuckled and shook her head. She wiped her cheek and sighed.

"I'm fine. I'm more than fine", she gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"For wha…"

Before Keith could finish his question, Noor threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Keith startled at first but then relaxed as he felt her warm breath on his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

Noor didn't move. She relished the warmth, the affection, the peace that a simple hug could bring. But then eventually, another yawn caught up with her.

"Are you sleepy?" Keith chuckled as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

"No I'm…", Noor began but was interrupted by another yawn, "...yes. I'm sleepy."

"It's probably all that food you munched down! Jeez you could give Hunk good competition at a food contest."

"It was delicious."

"I know. I was there! You didn't see me stocking up for winter hibernation."

"Well you don't love food like Hunk and I do. You wouldn't understand. When different ingredients come together and different flavors dance in perfect harmony...it's...it's almost...it's divine...a spiritual moment of…."

"Okay enough! Let's go", he shook his head.

As they left, Noor looked back one final time at the photos they had put up and smiled with gratitude.


	39. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With one day left for harmonic convergence, Keith tries to help Noor calm down. Soothing words, however, are not what she needs.

* * *

"Hey, Pidge. Have you seen Noor?"

"Where do you think she'd be? Training, of course. Harmonic convergence is tomorrow, remember?"

"I checked the training room…"

"She trains outside when she's trying to…"

"To?"

"When the stress gets too much," Pidge sighed. "I wish she would just talk to us."

"She trains way too much. It's not good for her."

With that, Keith walked out and rode off on his hover bike. After almost an hour of searching in the endless expanse outside the garrison, he finally saw a whirlwind of dust and wind and water and fire in the distance.

"Noor…," he shook his head and let out a long exhale.

* * *

As Noor wreaked havoc on the boulders, she thought she heard a voice in the distance. That's what she liked about the avatar state. Everything seemed to fade away, leaving just her in a bubble. Despite being repeatedly lectured by Jinora about how the avatar state was a spiritual state and not a mindless go-to, she couldn't help but turn to it when she felt the anxiety rise.

_Harmonic convergence._

The two words had kept ringing in her ears since the dinner at Shiro's. Seeing the family photos, feeling the hugs and warmth from them, watching the beautiful earth sunsets had made her realize just how much was at stake. And it all depended on her. She was a mess. It didn't help that she knew how nervous and confused the previous avatars had been when faced with similar situations. She knew that in the moment of truth, it would be just her.

"Noor!" The voice called a second time.

Noor descended back to the ground and returned to her normal state.

"Keith? How did you find…"

"Find you? The giant swirling elements kinda gave it away," he chuckled. But on seeing the expression on Noor's face, his smile turned into a frown.

"You know," he walked towards her. "There _is_ such a thing as too much training."

"I don't feel ready. I need to keep…"

"How about I take you out for a cliff dive. That'll help relieve some stress," he grinned.

Noor was about to dismiss the offer when she had a sudden idea.

"How about I show you a stunt of my own?"

On seeing her smug grin, Keith's curiosity was piqued.

"Let's go," he threw a helmet her way.

Noor smiled triumphantly and climbed on to the hover bike as Keith settled in as well.

"Where to?"

"Take me to the highest steepest scariest cliff," Noor announced and clicked the helmet into place.

* * *

They stood facing the sheer drop just as the sun began its descent. Noor stood quietly for several minutes.

"I keep trying to silence the pessimistic voice in my head."

"What does it say?" Keith turned to face her.

"That I'm not ready...or good enough."

"Noor," Keith stepped closer and turned her to face him as well. "You are more prepared than any of us were when we fought Zarkon. You have mastered the elements. You got this."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Of course," Keith smiled and squeezed her arms lightly.

"Okay then," Noor took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

"Do what?" Keith eyed her suspiciously but his eyes opened wide as Noor slipped her hand in his and held on firmly.

She leaned closer and Keith felt his chest tighten as his heart began racing.

"Do...do what…," he gulped.

"Do you trust me?"

Keith felt his entire body heat up as her warm breath wafted towards his skin. He had no clue what she meant but his heart and mind were screaming yes.

"Yes, always," he whispered back.

"Well then," Noor's lips spread into a smirk. "Let's do my version of a cliff dive."

Before Keith knew what was happening, Noor led him forward and launched them atop a swirling sphere of air.

"Oh my god…," his voice grew louder as they floated away from land mid air, on nothing but wispy winds. "Noor...what…"

"Do you really believe I have become a master of all the elements?"

Noor's eyes looked at him with hope and anticipation. He could feel her shaking.

"Noor," he gripped her hand tighter. "I have complete faith in you."

Noor looked into his eyes for several seconds and felt her heart race. Eventually, she smiled and placed his hands on her waist.

"Ready?"

Keith nodded as began to understand what she meant. In the blink of an eye, he felt the wind beneath their feet vanish and just like that, they fell through the sky, towards the distant ground.

Neither flinched. Noor kept her gaze fixed on him and Keith knew that the reason his heart beat louder with every passing second, was her gaze and not the fact that they were hurtling towards hard land. He found his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer as she steadied him by the shoulders. Soon, he knew neither the time that had passed nor their distance from the approaching ground. All he could see and feel was Noor.

Noor couldn't tell how much time had passed but she felt something inside her. She felt a connection, stronger than anything she had ever felt. It was a deep emotion within her that grounded her in her self. Suddenly, she felt all her senses come alive. She felt something click and all the elemental power inside her came together as one. She could feel the harmony and balance that erupted inside her heart.

And just like that, she knew when. When it was the right time.

Keith saw something in her eyes change. He felt something deep within himself at the same time. And just when it came upon him like a waterfall, he felt the wind once again beneath their feet. And just like that they halted with a gentle pause.

Their breathing grew heavy as their chests thudded. After several seconds passed, they finally let go of each other's gaze and looked down. They were hovering over the cloud of air Noor had summoned. Mere inches off the ground.

Noor let out an exhale at long last and felt a sense of relief wash over her. It began sinking in, what she had just done. Her smile turned into a gentle laugh and then into a full blown giggle. Keith felt her entire body shake and held her firmly so she didn't lose balance.

"You did it," he said and smiled at the still laughing girl.

Noor's giggles faded as she turned to look at Keith. It was then she realized just how close they were. Their faces were close enough for their noses to touch. With all her self control, she finally lowered them gently to the ground and took a step back.

"I did," she nodded as her face beamed with joy.

Reluctantly, Keith let go of her too and crossed his arms across his chest. Noor felt her heart settling down once again and a calm take over.

"Thanks."

"Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, nearing the end. Harmonic convergence is upon us and the action resumes! I enjoyed the fluff writing break but am excited to get into avatar action mode! Hope you all are enjoying this reading as much as I am writing it.


	40. Harmonic Convergence Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harmonic convergence is finally upon them and Noor realizes the true meaning of letting go.

* * *

"Okay, team. Let's go over this one more time," Shiro leaned forward gazing upon the map spread out across the screen. "The intel from the Blade of Marmora and Olkari don't match. So we're going to have to split and cover all locations where Vaatulika could be."

He looked around the table and saw the grim faces. Splitting up the team was not ideal but they had no option.

"Pidge and I will head to the southern portal, Hunk and Keith to the northern one, Luten and the garrison will help evacuate all the nearby villages and secure the portal perimeters, and Noor will be accompanied by the Olkari at the..."

"I still don't think that's a good idea," Keith interrupted with a frown.

"Keith," Shiro sighed, "I know breaking up the team is not…," he paused as he saw Keith's expression change and he understood that's not what he had meant, "...but it's the only way."

Keith glanced at Noor who smiled back.

"Fine," he muttered.

"As I was saying," Shiro continued, "Noor will be accompanied by the Olkari at the third portal on the mainland…"

"Near my home," Noor whispered almost inaudibly. "It's hard to believe there was a portal so close to me this entire time and I never knew...no one ever knew…"

"It's crazy," Pidge shook her head still amazed at the thought of portals on earth.

"Our mission," Shiro continued, "is to find Vaatulika before he can wreak more havoc in the spirit world during harmonic convergence."

"But he _wants_ Noor. He _wants_ to take over her spirit with the dark spirit because she can hold all the elements. He wants to turn her into the dark Avatar. And we're giving him exactly what he wants," Keith stood up finally. "I don't agree with this plan."

"But I do," Noor stood up and walked over. "We need to find him and take him down once and for all. Remember what you said yesterday," her voice reduced to a whisper, "Trust me."

"And if we can't stop..."

"I _will_ fight him and Vaatu. I _will_ stop them."

* * *

Noor took a deep breath and glanced back at her team one last time before boarding the craft to head to the third portal. She could see the concern on their faces but managed a smile, hoping to reassure them. In reality, her heart was pounding and her body felt heavy like lead. Her mind was racing as she thought of the moment that was rapidly approaching. Harmonic convergence.

Every ten thousand years Raava and Vaatu would battle. Light and darkness. Good and evil. Right and wrong. But now, after thousands of years, Raava had merged with a human once more and it would be her duty to fight Vaatu, and subdue him and his growing power. Even though Vaatulika had not been able to hold any spirit power, he was a strong opponent, especially with Vaatu by his side. Her body shuddered at the thought of Vaatu's dark energy trying to take over her body and spirit, eating Raava up until no light was left.

_No, Noor! You can't think that way. Stay positive. Stay strong. You got this!_

Noor kept chanting to herself and before she knew it, they had arrived. She held her breath as the ship passed over her homeland. She pressed her face against the glass as she tried to make out her town. She felt a warmth spread through her entire body and a calm take over.

_This is what you're fighting to protect. All of these people._

A few minutes later, the ship descended and they were at the portal.

"We'll secure the perimeter," Bani spoke. "You should head to the portal," she paused and then continued hesitantly, "Are you sure you don't want any…"

"I'm sure. I don't want to put any more people in danger than necessary. Plus, no one else is capable of fighting them. I can do this."

"Well then, you better get going," Bani smiled encouragingly. "Harmonic convergence is just a few hours away."

* * *

"Nothing here," Shiro spoke into the comm system, clearly disappointed. "This portal seems...broken? Keith? Hunk?"

After several seconds of silence, the comm flickered and buzzed.

"Nope," Keith gruffed. "Nothing. All ruins."

"Let's hope Noor has more luck," Shiro sighed.

"Let's head there immediately," Keith spoke hurriedly. "Can someone contact Bani?"

"I already did," Pidge responded. "They've secure the perimeter was able to enter the portal."

"She went in alone, didn't she," Keith groaned.

"Yup," Pidge replied with a chuckle. "She'll be fine."

"She _is_ the Avatar, you know," Hunk added.

"Let's join her as fast as we can. We need to be ready to provide back up and keep his minions at bay."

Don't forget," Shiro's tone was firm and he spoke with finality, "the fight with Vaatulika...is her fight."

* * *

Noor took a deep breath and finally took a step forward and entered the portal. She felt a surge of energy through her body, just like she had felt when she entered the spirit world through the abyss. As soon as she stepped in, she could see the tree of time, but there was no one and nothing else there. Confused, she slowly made her way towards the tree. As she neared it, she remembered what Korra and Jinora had told her.

" _Vaatu became more powerful because of the strife and evil intentions Vaatulika brought with it. Up until its arrival, Raava had maintained a strong hold on Vaatu. But because of Vaatulika, Vaatu was able to get just enough power to escape and turn some spirits dark. Thousands of years of entrapment left Vaatu weaker than ever, so his strength is still recovering slowly. The creature stole the essence and escaped but he left us with a renewed battle between dark and light spirits. So far, we have been able to subdue Vaatu and trap him in the spirit forest as Raava helped the spirits return to their normal states. But we can't let this continue. We must put an end to it before Vaatulika does more harm. You are still a new Avatar but using the immense power during harmonic convergence will give you a better chance against them. Believe in yourself."_

But now that she was here, mere minutes away from harmonic convergence, she couldn't see any one, neither Vaatulika nor Vaatu. Just as she paused in front of the tree, she heard something in the distance. It was Vaatulika, riding a dark spirit and a shadowy looming figure beside it, rapidly approaching her.

"Avatar Noor, I see you were foolish enough to pick this fight," the shadowy figure spoke in a voice loud and deep. "We finally meet again, Raava," it snarled as it descended and stopped some distance away.

Noor knew who the figure was. It was Vaatu.


	41. Harmonic Convergence Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harmonic convergence is finally upon them and Noor realizes the true meaning of letting go.

* * *

Noor prepared herself for what was to come. But to her bewilderment, nothing happened. The two figures loomed a few feet away and did nothing.

"Noor," Vaatulika spoke finally, "you have disappointed me immensely. I thought we could change the universe together. Spread humanity's reign, end the eternal struggle for power among those alien races, protect ourselves from them forever. With the power you have, we could have made sure nothing like the previous attack on earth never happened again. That we were never vulnerable ever again. I thought the losses you endured would have made you see that. But alas…"

"Your words mean nothing!" Noor spat out. "You are no different than any of those power hungry tyrants who attacked us and so many others."

"How dare you!" Vaatulika's voice thundered all around.

"You're still weak," Vaatu hissed. "This will be easy."

In the blink of an eye, the spirit of darkness surrounded her. Everywhere she tried to move, every direction she looked in, all she could see, the dark silhouette of Vaatu engulfed her. Grunting, she launched herself upwards on a jet of air and hovered over the spirit. She was about to extend the roots of the tree of time to bind the spirit when she heard Vaatulika laugh maniacally.

"You fool!" He growled. "You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into!"

"I am going to defeat you," Noor screamed.

She sent roots in both their directions yanking them down to the ground. For a few seconds they didn't resist and she began entering the Avatar state. Just then, Vaatulika spoke slowly and softly in a manner that sent a chill down her spine.

"Oh mighty spirit of the eternal darkness...it is time."

* * *

"Is he in there?" Keith jogged towards Bani. "What's happening?"

"We're not sure. It's been fifteen minutes since she went in."

"How much longer for harmonic convergence," Shiro joined them.

As he finished his question, the sky changed colors to a bright convolution of every color a sunset could possibly hold. A sheen began spreading and to everyone's astonishment, an alignment of colors began to take shape.

"Is that...the convergence?" Keith mumbled.

"Looks like it."

Everyone turned and saw Pidge gazing through a telescope.

"It's happening," her voice grew softer, half in awe and half in fear. "I can see the planets aligning."

"Be ready," Keith spoke. "Anything can happen."

* * *

Noor stared at first in confusion, then in horror as Vaatu freed himself with ease and glided towards the still trapped Vaatulika. She rushed ahead sending gusts of wind and raising hurdles as she attempted to keep him from freeing the creature and engage him in a fight so that Raava could subdue him once more.

Suddenly, she felt a surge of energy run through her spirit and knew that the convergence had begun. But of all the things she had expected, she wasn't prepared for what happened next. As Vaatu flew towards the creature, a light began shining all around them. Blinded, Noor looked away.

When she turned back as the light subsided, her eyes opened wide as Vaatulika rose from the ground. His eyes were glowing blood red.

"What...how…," Noor stuttered and took a step back.

"All my spiritual knowledge and meditation was not in vain after all. I was meant to better the universe and protect our people. The Avatar refuses to do it. Now, it is up to me. And nothing...nobody can stop me. For I will be the next Avatar!"

And then chaos descended all around her. Powerful beams of energy erupted from three locations where the portals connected the spirit world to the human realm. Harmonic convergence was upon them and the surge of energy she felt was felt by the Dark Avatar as well. Its eyes glowed stronger than before and the blood red shone with an evil might.

In the same moment, the beams exploded in unison sending a shockwave all around and through their bodies. It was then Noor realized how unprepared she still was in comparison to Vaatulika who had prepared for this before she ever even know of the spirit world, bending, Avatar...any of it. Before this, she had lived in her tiny part of earth, caught up in the tiny ongoings of an inconsequential human's life.

Her year with Avatar Korra and Jinora had taught her how to master the elements, how to enter the Avatar state and how to hold Raava. But it ultimately, it had not prepared to hold her own against something as ancient and mighty as Vaatu. As evil as a dark avatar.


	42. Harmonic Convergence Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harmonic convergence is finally upon them and Noor realizes the true meaning of letting go.

* * *

"We need to go in there and do everything we can to help…"

Before Keith could finish his words, a powerful shock wave emerged from the portal and expanded in every direction. Such was the force of the wave that it toppled everyone off their feet, crashed into the trees and crafts that had stood firmly still, thrown the soldiers and weapons every which way and left a glazed gold coating on the entire land around them.

For a minute, no one moved. Slowly, life began stirring again as the winds abated. Shiro, then Hunk, then the rest groaned and sat up clutching various parts of their now bruised and battered bodies.

"What was that!?" Pidge managed to exclaim.

"I don't know but it can't be good," Hunk muttered.

"Is everyone okay?" Shiro stood up with some effort.

"Yeah," Keith stood up as well and regained his senses as his blurred vision returned to normal once more. "We need to go in. I have a feeling this is worse than we thought."

* * *

When the screams subsided, Noor saw the dark avatar flying towards her. She heard Raava within her as well.

" _Noor! You cannot give up. Together, we have defeated Vaatu in the past and we can defeat him once again. We must."_

"I will not give up," Noor recovered from the shock. "I cannot give up," she yelled as she charged ahead with all her courage.

She gave him no room to breathe, sending one fire blast after another, one water jet after another, raising one rocky hurdle after another. With each step, they inched closer to each other. He dodged every attack but Noor never stopped. But it wasn't enough. With one giant leap, the dark avatar was on her, pounding her to the ground. Wasting no time, he kept going and before Noor could recover, he made the connection with the spiritual beam and drew on its endless energy. Another flash of light and energy exploded and engulfed her and before her vision cleared, she heard Vaatulika.

"We are now one," he began laughing maniacally. "Now a new era for spirits and humans will begin, and I will lead them all as the new Avatar."

Noor groaned and struggled to her knees and then back onto her feet.

"Well, I'm the old Avatar, and my era's not over yet."

With those words, Noor charged forward attacking him in whatever way she could. All her bending was at its fullest. She could feel her energy dwindling but she didn't stop. The dark avatar, on the other hand, seemed to be gaining power. With each inch of alignment and each dip into its powerful beam, he grew stronger and stronger. Now not only was he dodging her attacks but was on the offense. Before she knew it, she was the one defending, retreating, falling, receiving one blow after another.

"Give in. You were never strong. Never strong enough to save your mother, to fight your father, to rescue your second family, to save all those prisoners, to make use of this power, to fulfill your destiny. Your time is over."

With an amalgamation of all the elements, the dark Avatar sent Noor into the ground with a force that felt a hundred times worse than the weapon that had blown her apart and everyone on earth during the battle. She could feel the ground below her crack open and encase her. He stood over the edge, a wide evil smirk on his face, closing the earth in on her, slow enough to watch her suffocate and squirm. Noor could feel the light around her fading and darkness weighed down on her. From inside Raava's voice grew weaker.

" _Noor, this fight is not over. Vaatu cannot win. Do not give in to 10,000 years of darkness. There is still light left to fight the darkness. You carry it within you. Just like you have through all your trials and tribulations. Fight, Noor. Fight."_

Noor summoned all her strength and focused. Visions of her mother bleeding to death, of her new mother and father being swallowed whole by a purple beam, of the other prisoners dying one by one, of all the needles and torture she had suffered at the hands of the terrorists pierced through her mind and body to her heart and soul. She had been through a lot. And she was still here.

With all her last reserves of energy, Noor took a deep breath and entered the Avatar state. With a cry of desperation, anger, will, and hope, she struck one single blow and emerged from the ground, roaring.

"You will not win!"


	43. Harmonic Convergence Part Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harmonic convergence is finally upon them and Noor realizes the true meaning of letting go.

* * *

The ground shook but her roar didn't turn silent. With all the elements surrounding her, she charged at the dark avatar who sent it all right back. She sent two jets of water out and clutched both his arms and twisted them in an attempt to prevent him for bending but he took control of the whips and yanked her towards him. Despite all her resistance, Noor was dragged forward until she was face to face with him.

"No matter what I do, you are the one between the two of us who can hold this power and live," he twisted her body and brought her to knees. "But my cause is noble and my heart is infallible and I shall prevail."

He was convulsing and contorting. She shuddered as she watched his body terrifyingly close to imploding as he struggled to keep the power of Vaatu in him. He placed one hand on her forehead and another on her heart. A glow lit up all around him and from his mouth and eyes, darkness was emitted. The darkness burst forth and made its way upwards and then towards her.

Noor wriggled and struggled to break free from his grip but to no avail. Against all her efforts, she could feel her spiritual energy being called upon, being summoned. It was then she realized what he was trying to do. Korra had told her about her experience with Unalaq, the first dark avatar. Vaatu was trying to bend her energy, and impose himself on her. She remembered the cautioning words of the Old Masters.

" _Before there was an Avatar we used to bend the energy within ourself. To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable , or you will be corrupted and destroyed."_

* * *

Keith ran ahead of the others willing all the catastrophic thoughts out of his head. Just as he emerged, he heard a scream of such pain and desperation, that he paused in his tracks, stunned and scared. His entire body froze as he saw the scene that lay before him.

Noor on her knees and Vaatulika looming above her, both their energies in a battle without and within. And it looked like Noor was caving.

* * *

Noor tried. She tried very hard. To believe that she was unbendable. That her spirit was pure and strong. That her whole was greater than the sum of her good, bad and ugly parts. With every inch of her he took over, she could feel the struggle inside her growing. The fear, the confusion, the pain, the self doubt, the uncertainty.

Tears gushed down her cheeks as she tried to hold on to her faith. But he was too powerful. She tried to draw courage from her past lives, Korra, Jinora, her family, her friends, but in the end all she could hear were the voices that screamed all her past mistakes and losses back at her. She tried to find the light within her but all she could grasp at was the darkness that was slowly spreading.

Everything hurt. Her body, her spirit, her heart. She wanted to give up. To end the pain. To silence the screaming voices. To stop the chaos she was descending into. She could feel herself at the edge of a cliff, ready to free fall into the void to escape all the failures her life would be filled with when she would be defeated.

Just then, she heard a sound in the distance. A sound she couldn't make out, but tried to hold on to, in one last feeble attempt to step away from that enticing void. A sound that was slowly growing louder as if calling to her. A sound that slowly seemed familiar.

* * *

"NOOR!" Keith screamed in horror as he ran towards them.

But before he could get closer, another strong wave of wind hit him square in the chest and knocked him over. The shock waves kept coming. Vaatulika was winning and he wanted to make sure no one got in his way.

"Keith!" Shiro and the others yelled as they entered through the portal soon after but they were thrown to the ground as well.

"Noor," Keith ignored everything else and kept trying to crawl towards the awful scene that was unfolding ahead. "Don't give up. You can't give up," he whispered as his head grew dizzy and his vision blurred.

* * *

" _Noor…"_

Noor heard her name being whispered or so she thought. Nothing made sense any more. Everything seemed upside down and inside out. She could feel her essence draining out of her slowly but surely. Raava was weakening. And the chances of them resisting grew smaller with every second.

* * *

Keith fought the heaviness and began timing the shock waves. With every gap he inched a little closer. With every burst he shrivelled up and braced himself for impact.

"Noor! I'm here. You have to fight. He can't win."

Eventually Keith made it close enough that he could feel the heat emanating from the two bodies engulfed in red and blue, gold and silver, black and white. The energies swirled but it was clear to him that the creature was taking over Noor. Tears gushed down his cheeks as he saw Noor's body shaking and growing limper with every second.

And then, just like that, the red light took over and the blue was gone. Noor's body fell to the ground. Still and lifeless.

"No….no...NO!" Keith screamed. "Noor!"

He picked himself up and ran to her side just as the creature launched up and away towards some unknown destination to fulfill some unknown goal. But nothing else mattered to him. He fell to his knees and held her up slowly and carefully. Before he could do anything else, a whirlwind closed in on them and lifted Noor's body up. Keith grabbed her hand, refusing to let go as the storm threatened to take her away.

"She is mine now!" Vaatulika roared as he sent another sphere of air to pull Keith apart from her.

Keith held on tighter but could feel her hand slipping away until he only held the end of her fingers.

"NOOR! I'm not letting go. I..."

Before he could finish, Keith felt Noor's hand spring to life. A surge of hope rushed through his body as he saw her entire body return to life and enter the Avatar state. But his smile faded when he noticed the glow around her. Something was different. She didn't glow blue, but red instead.

"Noor?"

"Nothing can stop me now. I am finally successful. I have finally done it!"

"What did you do to her!?"

"She has now reached her full potential. She will finish what I set out to do."

"ANSWER ME! What did you do to her?"

"She is now the true Dark Avatar she was meant to be."

Keith tried wrapping his brain around those words but it didn't matter what they meant.

"Noor...can you hear me? Noor! Speak to me!"

"Let go of me. I have nothing to say to you," Noor finally spoke.

Her voice was shaky as if she was fighting something within.

"Noor," Keith jumped forward and grabbed her hand. "Snap out of it."

"Get out of my way!" Noor yelled trying to free herself, still shaky and unsure.

"I'm not leaving here without you," Keith managed to yell out.

"Get out of my way. Or I will make you."

"No you won't. I know you, Noor. I know you're still there. Please...fight it. I am going to stay by your side. I'm never letting go...I believe in you...I...I love you."


	44. Letting go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harmonic convergence is finally upon them and Noor realizes the true meaning of letting go.

* * *

"I...I love you, Noor."

Keith looked up at Noor but her face showed no sign of recognition or comprehension. And then, with one strong punch, she sent him flying back. Though still shaky, her inner voice was growing meeker.

"I am the one true Avatar," she found herself saying as Vaatu spoke through her. "The Dark Avatar. Raava...is dead."

_Raava is dead._

Noor's fading conscious grasped at those words.

_Raava is dead. No. No!_

She tried to hold on to the memory of Raava and the emotion she felt. She heard echoes of words Raava had once said.

_He cannot destroy light any more than I can destroy darkness. One cannot exist without the other. Find the light in the dark._

The echoes were disappearing but their essence lingered long enough for Noor to summon something, anything, that was left of her. She shed everything that stood between her and core. She let go of the fear. She let go of the confusion. She let go of the self doubt. She let go of the uncertainty. She let go of everything that she had ever let hold her back. Until she found it. Her core. Her true self. Her light. Trapped within the dark void.

She closed her eyes and focused, concentrating on the quivering light. She let all her remaining spirit channel through her and towards the light and began bending it. She was going to bend the energy within herself.

* * *

Keith watched as Noor shut her eyes. The darkness seemed to fill the air. Her red glow burned brighter than ever. But her face had a calm serenity. Suddenly, he noticed a tiny glow appear in her chest. As if a golden white heartbeat had found its place in her.

Gradually, the light began growing and the darkness began receding.

"No...no," Vaatulika gasped.

Just as he was about to grab Noor, Keith lunged forward and pinned him to the ground and continued watching in awe as Noor transformed once again. From red to black to silver to white to gold to blue. The light had morphed into a blinding aura and it grew stronger with every second.

After several minutes, Noor opened her eyes and thrust her hand within her core, yanking Vaatu out. Trapping him in a blizzard of all four elements she dragged him towards the tree of time and once again, encaged him in an eternal prison.

"Shiro!" Keith called out. "Hold on to him!"

As Shiro pinned down the creature harder, Keith ran ahead towards Noor. Slowly, the blinding light evaporated and Noor returned to her normal state.

"Keith...," she whispered as she fell back, exhausted.

"Noor!" He caught her in his arms just in time and to his relief, she once again looked like the Noor he knew. The Noor he loved.


	45. The beginning of the end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With harmonic convergence finally behind them, the team has a new challenge they must overcome if Noor is to live.

* * *

""Noor…," Keith whispered trying to bring her back, his anxiety slowly rising.

Her pulse was low, barely detectable, her breathing seemed almost absent, her body was turning cold. Just as the light disappeared within her completely, a weakened voice echoed from within her. It was Raava.

" _Bhanti…"_

"Bhanti? What is that?" Keith whispered in confusion.

" _Take us to the Bhanti tribe…"_

With those words, the echoes faded. And Noor's body seemed almost lifeless.

"Noor? Raava?" Keith grew desperate.

He stood up hurriedly and lifted her in his arms. He walked towards the portal where the rest of the team was waiting.

"How is she?" Shiro inquired.

"And what the hell just happened!?" Pidge exclaimed.

"No time," Keith grunted. "She...she isn't doing good...we need to take her to the Bhanti tribe...whatever that is."

"How are we going to find that...them?" Pidge straightened her glasses.

"We have to," Hunk stepped forward and checked her vitals. "She's dyi…"

"She'll be fine!" Keith interrupted angrily. "We just need to hurry."

"Calm down, Keith," Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder. "We won't give up on her."

Keith's body relaxed at his words and he managed a faint tired sigh. He looked down on Noor's face and a surge of emotion warmed his chest. He held her closer and followed the rest of them through the portal back to their world, leaving the spirit world and Vaatu behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is almost coming to an end! Not sure how y'all are liking it but I am so excited about how it has turned out. It was fun writing it! And I'll miss the characters. For now, onward and forward! To the beginning of the end.


	46. The search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noor isn't doing well and the team only has one option - to find the Bhanti tribe.

* * *

"This isn't going to help," Keith groaned in frustration. "She told me to find the Bhanti tribe. This is Avatar stuff...our doctors can't help her. We need to find that tribe!"

"But we need to keep her alive until then!" Pidge snapped. "Why don't you go and find this mysterious tribe while we keep her heart beating!?"

Silence spread across the room as Keith's face froze at her words. Shiro stepped in and dissipated the tension.

"What Pidge means is we need to do everything we can until we can locate the Bhanti tribe."

"And so far," Hunk added, "we have had no luck. No one has heard anything and..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Luten came rushing in and ran over to Keith, panting.

"Sorry, I couldn't get here sooner. We just finished managing the situation at the nearby towns and villages and evacuating everyone to safety. How...how is she doing?"

"Not looking good to be completely honest," Pidge replied.

Keith clenched his fists and stared at Noor.

"We need to find the Bhanti tribe."

"Bhanti tribe?" Luten asked in surprise. "Did you just say the Bhanti tribe?"

"Yes...why? Do you know anything about them?" Keith asked eagerly.

"I...I've heard about them...but they're just stories...folklore...about a tribe that lives on a remote island. They were said to be highly spiritual and apparently they had the ability to heal…"

"That's them!" Keith exclaimed and caught Luten by the shoulders. "Tell me everything you know."

* * *

"Are you sure about this? It doesn't seem like enough information to find them," Shiro spoke finally after Luten was done talking.

"We have to take this chance," Keith muttered.

"I'm with Keith on this one," Luten added. "Our folklore about dragons and firebending turned out to be true. The Bhanti tribe must be true as well. And I am sure we can find them. The islands in our stories do exist. We can fly to the tip of the mainland but from there, the best way to search the archipelago is by boat."

"We shouldn't waste any more time then," Hunk nodded.

"There's a lot to do in the aftermath of all this," Shiro interrupted. "Hunk, Pidge and me will stay back here to deal with everything. Luten, Keith...you both will have to go on this mission without us."

"Sounds like a plan," Keith replied and walked over to where Noor lay, tied up in tubes and medical equipment. "Let's go."

* * *

"The Bhatti tribe?"

"No! The Bhanti tribe...bhaa-ntee," Keith groaned after repeating the name for the third time to the vendor.

"Haven't heard of them," the old man shook his head and waved them off.

"Maybe they go by some other name now?" Luten pondered. "Do you know of any people that have been inhabiting these islands for generations? Perhaps with maroon and saffron robes? Very...sage like?"

"Ahh," the vendor scratched his chin, "you must be referring to the hermits...they live two islands away and have lived in isolation for decades, maybe longer."

"Yes," another person overhead the conversation and chimed in, "No one knows who they are or what they do but there are many stories of people who were lost at sea and rescued by them. But even they couldn't tell us much about those folks. The only thing they knew was that they spoke some other language, unlike anything we speak and had their own strange rituals and...beliefs."

"How do we get there? How do we find them?" Keith asked hurriedly.

"It's not too far away...the island," she continued. "But I don't know how you can find them once you get there."

"Who knows," the vendor mumbled. "Maybe they'll find you."


	47. The Bhanti tribe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Luten's search ends in an unexpected way.

* * *

"This must be the island," Luten looked ahead and squinted. "I don't see any signs of a village or anything. Maybe they live on the mountain? Like...hermits?"

"Maybe," Keith sighed as he sat by a still unconscious Noor on the gently rocking boat.

Luten turned around and looked at him, unsure of what to say next.

"She'll be fine," he finally spoke after several minutes of silence. "We'll find them."

"Hmm," Keith muttered.

"So...do you…," Luten rubbed the back of his neck but before he could finish his sentence, they were interrupted by the captain.

"Here we are!"

They looked ahead and saw the pristine beach and lush forest with the mountain at the heart of it. If there was any place a hermit tribe would choose to live, this would be it.

"There's no sign of them...if they even exist here…," Keith frowned.

"Maybe we should rest," Luten said panting.

They placed the stretched that Noor lay on carefully on the ground and leaned against the trees to gather their strength. They had been walking for hours but the mountain top seemed to only grow further away.

"We need to keep moving," Keith straightened up again. "It's going to get dark soon."

Suddenly, they heard chanting, soft, distant, and calming. It was like a spell was spreading all around them, calming their fraught nerves, soothing their tired bodies and lulling them into a peaceful slumber. The chants grew clearer and the hum vibrated every cell in the air and their bodies. Before they knew it, Keith and Luten had leaned back against the trees once again and slipped into a gentle sleep.

* * *

"Who are you? And why are you here?"

"Noor…," Keith stirred and managed to open his eyes.

On seeing the people that were leaning over and looking at him, he jerked up with a grunt.

"Who are you?" The old lady repeated. "What are you doing here?"

"I...we…," as his vision cleared up he noticed the men and women that surrounded him donning flowing red and maroon robes. "Are you…," his eyes opened wide, "are you the Bhanti tribe?"

"How do you know our tribe's name," her eyes narrowed.

"Wait," he looked around frantically, "where are my friends? Where is Noor?"

"The other boy is still asleep, and the girl...is sick. She...seems…," the lady hesitated as if unsure what to say next. "It doesn't seem like a normal illness."

"She isn't any normal human," Keith stood up and stared directly at her. "She is the Avatar."

Gasps and whispers erupted all around.

"How do you...what do you mean...how can it be!?" She exclaimed. "There have been no...Avatars for thousands of years."

"And yet your tribe still exists. You still remember, don't you?"

"For generations, our mythology has preserved the knowledge of the past, passed down traditions and rituals that were used to do many marvelous things, including serving the Avatar."

"Can you help her?" Keith asked point blank.

"A dark energy has infected her."

"Yes, she has been through a lot. Her spirit fought the dark spirits and won but…"

"We will do everything we can."

With that, she led the way into the cave. Keith slowly lifted Noor in his arms and followed her, until they reached a pool at the center of a surprisingly warm section that was filled with green grass and colorful flourishing trees.

"This is the spiritual center of our island. We need to place her in these waters."

As Keith placed Noor gently into the water, the sages surrounded her and began chanting once more. This time, however, it didn't lull him into a slumber. This time, the chants were powerful, wild, almost storm-like. As the chants grew louder, Keith watched in astonishment as the water began glowing and form a protective layer around Noor. Within seconds her body was covered in a shimmering watery skin and then she began descending into the pool.

Keith took a step forward on reflex but stopped when the old sage spoke once more.

"Let the waters cleanse the darkness that plagues her spirit."


	48. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bhanti tribe's healing rituals heal Noor in more ways than one.

* * *

Noor could see blue all around her once again. But this time, the blue wasn't threatening to swallow her whole. This time the blue surrounded her in a protective shield as she was guided to some unknown life source. With every breath, she could feel the life force's energy invigorating her mind, sustaining her body, summoning her spirit.

Everything was silent except the beating of her heart, at first weak and then slowly stronger and louder. She looked around but could so no one and nothing else but the endless shades of blue and white. She couldn't tell if she was floating in water or in the endless sky.

Soon, however, she began seeing green. A distant shadow began drawing her closer and the green began taking shape into something that seemed vaguely familiar. She felt herself want to go nearer and the world she was in, allowed her to do just that. Before she could try to move, she had somehow floated to the green form.

With a gasp, Noor looked at the large looming structure and recognized it at once.

"The ancient Banyan grove tree! Am I in the foggy swamp?"

Suddenly, she heard Raava's voice from within her echo all around.

"Noor," her voice spoke gently yet firmly, "you have won the battle with Vaatu but more importantly, you have won the ever raging battle inside you."

"Then why am I here? Why am I at the banyan tree? Is this the spirit world?"

"No, but this place has the strongest connection to the tree of time and you need to sit with your memories and accept everything you have been through before you return to your life. Silence the turmoil in your heart and soul once and for all. Letting go was the first step, you have much to do to accept and attain true peace within yourself. Go forth, sit in the shade of the canopy and let the spirits guide you to the other side."

Noor did as she was told and sat down, folder her legs, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Just as in the tree of time, visions of her life and memories flooded her mind. But this time, even the terrible ones seemed calmer. Her heart didn't flood with doubt and fear, but a gentle acceptance of the things that had happened and an appreciation for how far she had come and grown since then.

As she sat under the canopy, each trial, memory, achievement, loss, emotion seemed to take the shape of a sphere and orbit around here just as the elements once had. With every deep breath, she picked an orb to focus on, observe, accept, and let go. Neither happiness nor sorrow, courage nor fear threw her off balance. She sat with each emotion and then placed it back gently in the orbit of her life's worth.

Soon, her most recent memories began appearing. She saw Luten talking to a boat captain begging him to take them to the island for her sake. She saw Pidge bidding her a teary farewell as she accompanied Shiro to deal with the aftermath of harmonic convergence. She saw Hunk stroke her forehead softly, whispering her to get better soon. She saw Keith.

In the middle of the maelstrom created by Vaatu, she felt herself being dragged up by the dark spirit inside her. But a hand held hers, refusing to let go. She could see now how Vaatu had fought to take over her entire body and soul. She could feel her own spirit growing tiny within as she searched for the light at her core.

Suddenly, she heard Keith's desperate voice cry out in despair.

" _I know you, Noor. I know you're still there. Please...fight it. I am going to stay by your side. I'm never letting go...I believe in you...I...I love you."_

Noor opened her eyes at once, astonished and shaken. Her balance had shifted and the orbs had vanished.

"I...I need to find my way back. I need to return to my body!"

"You know the way back. You just need to look inside and you will find what you seek," Raava's voice echoed. "Sometimes, it's okay to lose balance. That's the only way you can add something new to the orbs of your life before finding your balance once more."

Noor took another deep breath. She felt a smile spread across her lips as she shut her eyes again and felt every fiber of her being wish for only one thing.


	49. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This journey may have come to an end, but the story will go on.

* * *

"Keith…"

Keith stood up at once as Noor's body emerged from the water finally.

"Keith…," she whispered again.

"Noor!" Keith rushed into the water until he was waist deep and held her carefully. "I'm here. Are you...how do you feel?"

Noor opened her eyes as a smile spread across her lips.

"I think...I think I'm okay."

"Hold on tight", Keith whispered as he helped her stand up in the water.

"I'm never letting go," she whispered much to Keith's surprise.

"Huh? What do…"

"Avatar Noor," the sage came forward and bowed, followed by all the others. "We are honored to meet and serve yet another Avatar."

Noor held on to Keith as they walked out of the pool. She groaned as she bowed slightly in return.

"Thank you...for everything," Noor replied. "I am grateful to you and your tribe. But...but I must get back to help the others and to make sure…"

"Of course," the old lady nodded and smiled. "We might have something that can help with that."

"Are those? Bison!?" Noor's eyes opened wide.

"They are descendents of the sky bisons that once roamed this world as companions to the air benders. "We've been raising them for as long as our stories can remember. And I have a feeling, they can bend as well, just like their ancestors. They haven't unlocked their element but maybe the Avatar can help with that."

Noor stepped forward closer to the herd and weaved her way through them, looking carefully at each one. At the back, she noticed a young female bison that was looking directly at her quietly. As she approached her, the bison didn't move like the others. She stood there as if waiting patiently for Noor.

"Hi there," Noor smiled and extended her hand out slowly.

The bison nuzzled closer and both closed their eyes as Noor focussed all her energy on to where her hand met the bison's forehead. Everyone watched in amazement as faint arrows began emerging on the animal's body and glowing in sync with Noor's own body. Several seconds later, they opened their eyes and Noor touched her forehead to the bison's and whispered.

"Take me home, Vaayu."

* * *

"Noor! Keith! You're back!" Pidge screamed and rushed forward to greet her friends. "Oh...my...is that a flying bison!?"

"Looks like you found the tribe," Hunk smiled and joined the group hug.

"Okay, guys, I think you're choking me," Noor giggled and groaned simultaneously. "And yes, that is a flying bison!"

"Oh, sorry!" Pidge pulled back and adjusted her spectacles with a grin. "I'm glad to see you're...alive."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Noor placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hate to break up the reunion but Noor needs to rest," Keith put her arm around his shoulder once more and began guiding her away from the group and towards her room.

* * *

As they walked in silence, Keith noticed Noor smiling at him.

"What?"

"What?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" Noor's grin turned into a smirk as they entered her room.

"You're being weird…"

Before Keith could finish, he felt warm lips enclose his and impatient hands pulled him close.

Taken aback, Keith fell against the door and pulled back drawing a deep breath.

"Noor...what…"

"I love you too, Keith," Noor smiled warmly.

Keith felt his cheeks flush and began looking away but on seeing the happiness that radiated from her, he felt a warmth spread across his chest too. He held her firmly and sealed their lips together once more. This time they didn't stop. Keith felt his shoulder relax as he wrapped himself tightly around her and they melted into the kiss. He leaned back against the door and Noor followed, their lips never parting.

Finally Noor pulled back but Keith held her close. They leaned against each other's foreheads and caught their breath.

"You're a pain you know that?" Keith whispered. "Do you have any idea what you've put me through?"

"Well…," Noor whispered back, "looks like I'm your pain now."

Keith smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"So what now?" She pulled back and sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"I need to return these powers back. I promised."

"So let's take a trip to the spirit world, just the two of us," Keith moved a strand of hair away from her face and gently tucked it behind her ear.

"Sounds like a plan!"

"And then maybe you could...join me and the Blades?" He looked at her nervously.

"Maybe…," Noor grinned.

Keith felt a wave of relief spread through his body and he pulled her into a hug.

"I love you, Noor."

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! The end! Hopefully, y'all enjoyed the story and the characters and the crossover! I have had so much fun writing this and am sad it's over but also kind of glad that I can now focus on finishing my other Zutara story!


End file.
